Chase let out a deep sigh, taking in the cool night air. Granted, it was always night in the veil but only in appearance and the blocking of the sun's rays. The cool nip in the air and the eerie shiver he felt run up his spine was all it took for him to tell the difference. Though, he did wonder how exactly a greenhouse could function up here, "Why do we have this? I never took you as the green thumb type"
Boss, gently grabbed one of the plants, looking almost sad to see them barely clinging to life, "I used to use them in special poisons and potions. Anyway, now that we're somewhere private..."
"Look, if this is about what I said..."
"No, you were right. I have no right keeping such things from you," Boss interrupted, "I know I've been distant. Frankly, until Urien started to take an interest in you, I didn't want an apprentice. This is my job and I promised I would leave you and Elijah out of it"
"Promised? Promised who?" Chase asked, seeming confused before he began piecing it together in his head, "You knew them, huh? My mom and dad.."
Boss simply nods, "One of my fiercest enemies and my closest friend.." he answered, a wave of nostalgia flooding over him, "He was an Inquisitor, you know, not unlike Jason. That's how me and him met. We fought many times and helped each other just as often"
"What changed? I mean don't get me wrong, we hung out at the Tombs a lot but he never once mentioned the Inquisitors. I didn't even know about them until Jason and Derek attacked me"
"Exactly like he wanted," Boss answered, "You see, your father wasn't like most. While most Inquisitors dogmatically hunting and slaughtering vampires, the more we fought, the more he preferred to cure them"
"What brought that along?"
"Your mother, my other ghoul" He simply stated, "Marie wasn't my only ghoul. Anna was very much amused by him and that eventually became more. So, I let her go, Warren pulled some strings in the Inquisitors so he could leave and they had you and your brother"
Chase just hummed, leaning against a nearby table as he thought. To a normal person, this might all come as a shocker but with all he's seen in these short few months, it's difficult for anything to surprise him. After a moment, he asked one question "That's cool but what does it have to do with Elijah having access to the mansion?"
"Well...why would you not have access to your godfather's home?" He asked, "I was supposed to take care of you should something happen to your parents. But Urien got Elijah and the Inquisitors got you while I was unconscious. So I've been watching you from a distance"
Chase didn't seem to have a response. He didn't even so much as look him in the face. Instead he pushed himself off the table and went to leave, "We should get back to work. Thanks for telling me all this"
"I'll try to be more active in training you. If I go too far, say so"
"I will. I appreciate it" were his only words before going to the cave. It was obvious even if he wasn't shocked, Boss's words were eating away at him. It was as if years of memories were being corrupted all at once. Never once was he living just a normal human life. A ghoul mother and Inquisitor? It sounds like something he would write for a project, not something that could truly happen. Still, he put that on the backburner as he entered the cave. Inside, everyone was waiting. Spot was racing with an exhausted Alexis while Sarah explored the darkest depths of the caverns. Jason was training with Phil, dodging his wrappings to test his reflexes. All this came to a halt when Chase took a deep breath before calling out in a booming voice that echoed through, "Ok everyone team meeting!! Living Room now!"
His commanding voice shocked the group as they followed him upstairs. Chase and Boss sat in there, awaiting them. They filed in and had a seat one by one, including Sarah "What are you doing here?" he asked, seeming especially annoyed as he grit his teeth
"Well, you said there was a meeting.."
"Yeah, a team meeting" Chase interrupted, "You're not part of the team just because you know what's going on"
"Hey, what's your problem?!" Jason shouted
"Oh I'm sorry. Last I checked we both wanted to keep her out of this. But now that she knows, you want her in?" Chase argued and was about to stand up but Alexis easily held him down with one arm and her usual blank face replaced with a stern glare. With a reluctant sigh and a nod, "Fine. You can listen in I guess" he said, causing her to light up as he sat down
"So what's this meeting about?" Marie asked and looked to Boss who met eyes with his apprentice
"You're thinking the same thing as me?"
"Yeah. After seeing that town, I don't want that for people. But there are just seven of us. If they decided to come raining down on us, we're fucked. Eli's buying us time by trying to convince me to join but that won't last forever"
"So what are you thinking?" Jason asked
"I dunno, honestly" He said, leaning back in the chair, "Thee Inquisitors are a no go. They think I'm dead. If they found out, both me and you could be in real trouble"
"Then what about, Victoria?" Phil spoke up, "After all, she made quite clear to you that she does not agree with her brother"
"Yeah, but she also doesn't like Boss. We need to be able to work together, right?" Chase asked. While that was admittedly, their best option, he was unsure that it would work. He looked up at Boss who was playing with his mustache as he thought it over, "What do you think? I'm just the apprentice here"
"Do you think you could act as a mediator?" Boss asked in response, looking down at him, "I don't like the Blackhart girl but I'm no fool. We need information and man power. We know she at least has one of those things?"
"Do you think I can? I'm not the most convincing person"
"This whole time, I've shown a great lack of faith in you and it lead to unnecessary strain. Consider this a chance to amend that. I'm trusting you with an important mission. This won't be like last time where I can back you up" Boss explained, looking around at the others as if assessing them, "Take whoever you think is best. I'll form the remaining plan around your decision"
Chase smiled, seemingly pleased that he was putting more faith in him. He turned to Alexis and pointed. As his ghoul, she was the obvious choice, "Me and Alexis will go. The smaller the group, the better"
"Alright. I've gotta grab something then we can go" Alexis said before rushing to her room
"I'll make the call. Vicky might be busy" Chase said and stood up to leave. He went up the steps into his room. Vicky's number was one of the few he had saved so it was easy to find. Sitting on his bed, he waited as the phone rang on and on before...
"Chase? What's up?"
"Hey, you think we can meet? We need to talk"
"Sure. I'm actually meeting a few people at my club you and your friends might want to meet. But you wanna tell me what's wrong first?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Chase asked, his eyes wide with shock. How could she tell something was up so easily? Do Vampires have some sort of psychic abilities he wasn't told about?
"You sound so down. You never sound like that?"
"It's just....Sarah knows now. She followed me to meet with Eli"
Victoria just hummed, not in the least bit convince. Something like that couldn't be enough, could it? She decided not to push, "Ok, well if you ever wanna tell me the full story, I'll listen. But remember, I'm not your only friend anymore. If you can't discuss it with me, maybe talk to one of them"
"Yeah, thanks. Alexis and I will be there soon," Chase responded, unable to hold his smile, before hanging up. He went to the door where Alexis was leaning against the frame with her usual calm demeanor. With a sigh he asked the question he was dreading, "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know there's more you're upset about than you're letting on," She answered as she dramatically raised up a fist, showing a new pair of leather fingerless gloves with rubies covering them
"Wow, really going for the badass brawler look. You sure your last name's Eden and not Lockhart or Niijima or something?"
"It's not just for looks. Marie's been teaching me more magic," She explained as her fist lit aflame , "Vampires hate fire so this should come in handy"
"Smart," Chase admitted and started walking, "Vicky's ready. We can get going"
Alexis nodded and followed him down into the cave. The duo hopped in one of the many cars and Chase drove them to the club. He was the only one in the mansion who knew its location since he understood that things were tense between Vicky and Boss. The drive itself was tense. Chase was silent, stoic and controlled, or so he'd like to pretend. Alexis could tell it was all a mirage, trying to hid his anger. Taking a risk, she gently grabbed his hand that was resting on his lap, shocking him as he came to a stop at a red light. The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment and eventually, Chase's glare began to soften, "Whatever's going on, you don't need to get so intense. We don't want lose the cheesy stary-eyed idiot who I owe"
"That again? You don't owe me anything" Chase insisted. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle and continue on. He couldn't help but trust her. Perhaps it was because of the blood he gave her? He'll have to ask Boss later. For now, the two arrived at the club and were immediately allowed access. Navigating through the packed crowds, the two made their way into the office where Vicky was waiting for them, along side familiar faces. Of course, Chizuru was there but there was also the pale woman and the man in the red robes from the meeting, "What the hell are they doing here?"
"Ok, calm down. They're on our side" Vicky assured, "Meet Jasmine Albeos from the Manananggal and Shoi-Ming Wu of the Jiangshi"
"I remember you guys from the meeting"
"And we do you" Shoi-Ming said, slowly approaching. Reading up on the books in the library, Chase was intrigued by the Jiangshi. Better known as 'hopping vampires' by some, he was shocked to see he wasn't well...hopping. Noticing this, he simply sighed, "Your breed of Vampire isn't the only kind that can evolve"
"Right. So what are you guys doing here and are there more of you?"
"Yes. Most could not make it as they have to play nice with Urien for now but quite a few of us are still loyal to Lady Victoria's father. If she wishes to pursue his vision, then we shall follow. It is only the lesser clans who do not agree"
"Lesser clans?" Alexis asked
"Species of Vampires that can't blend in with humans normally," Jasmine answered, a disgusted look on her face "He uses that fact to manipulate them. For beings that constantly live their lives in hiding, I can see why being considered superior to humans would provide them some comfort. It's quite tragic"
"Well it's good to know she has support but that's not why we're here" Chase said, walking past Wu towards Vicky. Having a seat in the chair on the other end of her desk, he got straight to the point, "Boss wants to work with you"
Victoria froze, looking around. After a moment, she simply muttered two words as she looked down into the crowd, "I can't"
"I figured you'd say that. Look, I know you can't forgive him for what happened but-"
"No, you don't get it. I can't" She repeated, lightly nudging her head down into the crowd below. Chase looked down below and among the crowd, he could see the circulatory system of everyone. Their hearts were pounding fast all except four people. Their blood wasn't pumping nearly as fast, as if trying to conserve. With that, he stood up
"I see. Well, thank you for your time. Say hi to Eli for me" He said, feigning disappointment as he walked out, much to the confusion of Alexis who went to grab his shoulder. In response she pulled her in close to where his lips were to her ear, "There are vampires watching her. Up for testing out those new gloves?"
She simply nodded before shoving him back, "Sure. But don't do something like that again" she warned, though with the faintest smile on her lips. Once he recovered, Chase groaned and stumbled out of the building, "So what's the plan? If they're spying on Vicky, why would they care if we leave?"
"Good question. Wait. Since when were you guys so close she let's you call her Vicky?"
"Jealous?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course not. I'm just intrigued," He answered "But Vampires first. So how about this..." He trailed off before going back to the car. Boss had countless secret compartments in every vehicle he owned. Sure enough, between the seats was a compartment containing a massive vial of holy water
Back inside, Victoria heard the phone ring. Seeing it was Chase, she picked up, "Hello"
"You and any Vampires on our side may want to get out of the building. The sprinkler's are about to go off"
"Huh? Why's that such a big deal?" She asked but was met with silence. With an audible gulp, she grabbed Jasmine and Shoi-Ming and began dragging them out. On their way out of the building, a few unfamiliar faces began to follow but were stopped at the exit by the guards
"Hold it. Why are you following Lady Victoria?"
"You have five seconds to back off or-" The stalker started to demand before suddenly, the sprinklers went off. The partying guests were confused and some were even angry but the vampire spies felt only two things. They felt fear as they realize what was happening, and pain as their bodies began to melt. They screamed in agony as layer by layer, their bodies melted away until all that was left were piles of ashes in what remained of their clothes
Across from the club, a bizarre red frog-like vampire with humanoid arms and legs had its face pressed up against a screen, watching the security camera as they melt, "A Yara-Ma-Yha-Who hacking the cameras and tapping the phones instead of a Nosferatu. I didn't expect that. Anyway, Alexis feel free to light'em up" Chase said and with no hesitation, Alexis lit her fist ablaze, burning the creature to death before being launched out the window in front of Victoria, "Can we talk now?" he asked into his phone to which Victoria looked to the shattered window and nodded
"Next time, at least ask permission before messing with my stuff" She joked as the duo approached once again, "Now about working with Boss. I've been thinking..."
"Look, I know you two don't get along..." Chase started but she immediately pressed a finger to his lips
"That doesn't matter now. My brothers are making moves and fast. I can't afford to wait and now that I know I have allies, I can do more than just sneak some information to you" Victoria assured with a smile, "I can never forgive the Kin Slayer for taking my father. But if I want to carry out his dreams, I'll sacrifice my petty grudge"
"Oh..."
Victoria seemed confused his response and so she asked, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Not at all. I just wasn't expecting it to be so easy" He answered with a warm smile, something that was a rare sight from such a cold lifeless body, as he held out his hand "Welcome aboard"
Meanwhile, Jason and Sarah wandered through the forest leading to the Inquisitors. Despite Boss saying it was out of the question, Jason insisted his parents may be reasonable and that they may have enough sway to get at least some aid. The silence was deafening. The sound of bugs, birds and bristling trees was all that filled their ears as they refused to speak. Jason understood why. He expected Sarah to be angry if she ever figured out about his and Chase's double lives. Friends tell each other everything right? He's her boyfriend so that should go double for him right? Eventually, he came to a stop and leaned against a tree, "We should rest here for a bit. The guards will start making their night time rounds and they can escort us"
Sarah simply nodded and sat down under the tree. Again, silence. This silence would persist for minutes then hours until she finally grit her teeth and asked "When...?"
"When what?"
"Don't play dumb. When were you gonna tell me you and Chase were Vampire Hunters?" She asked again, looking at him with tears in her eyes "Do you know how worried I was about you two? You would keep getting hurt, you two even started living with some girl who turned out to just be a walking blood bag! It was confusing and I was scared about what you two were getting into!"
"What? Worried I would cheat on you?"
"Get serious and just answer me, would you?! When did you plan to tell me!" She insisted, not in the mood for his jokes. Realizing this, Jason let out a small sigh, intentionally avoiding eye contact
"Never. You were the one thing that made me feel normal. I didn't want to ruin that" He answered "I doubt you get it but being an Inquisitor isn't just being a normal person but killing blood suckers on the side. Your entire life is plotted out for you. Hell, my parents are considered more liberal just for letting me have relationships outside the Order" he further elaborated, eventually looking up at her. She was completely dumbstruck but it made sense. After all, she had never even met Jason's family and if they're as strict as he claims, that would be why. Before their conversation could continue, they were approached by a young woman in body armor with a long white overcoat, the typical uniform of the Inquisitors when they weren't hiding. She had long golden hair pulled into a braided ponytail that draped over her shoulder, "Hello, Melanie," Jason greeted with an eye roll
"What's with the attitude?!" She asked, annoyed as she lowered her rifle and looked to Sarah with an intense glare, "And who is this?"
"None of your business. Now take me to my father"
"They're in a meeting with a council right now" She said, her annoyance dying down a little as they got back to business. Despite this, Sarah could feel the tension between the two as if they were trying to stab each other with just a glance. Eventually, their deadly staring contest was interrupted as she tapped at some sort of earpiece "This is Dixon...Yes sir...We're on our way" she spoke before looking at them, "Come with me. Your brother says he'll handle it"
"Thank you" Jason reluctantly said as they walked. The guards stayed ever vigilant, covering the two from all angles. They were lead up the path, leading to a giant mansion. Crosses lined the grounds as seemingly normal people growing garlic. More guards made their rounds around the facility and kids seemed to be cheering that "Mr. Jason is back!"
"Didn't realize you were so popular..." Sarah whispered
"Trust me, I don't get how.." He responded as they walked into the mansion. Inside, they saw more, people leaving and entering their private quarters, basic classes being attended and even some advanced ones such as metalwork where they forged weapons and bullets, all of course made of silver and cooled in holy water. Eventually they were lead into an office where Darek sat there, going through paperwork. Besides some scarring and a metallic arm to replace the one that was destroyed, he seemed no worse for ware besides being agitated, "Hey brother...They got you doing deskwork?"
Darek groaned in response, "Sadly. They insist that it's too soon to determine if I'm mentally sound enough to get back into the fight" he explained, leaning back in his chair while Jason reads over the paperwork. It seemed to be marriage papers of some sort, "They're arranging them quicker. My guess is they're hoping to make up for the new trainees we lost in Romania"
"Yikes. You guys didn't arrange one for me till I was sixteen" Jason noted, his face contorting in disgust, "We're already teaching the kids to kill vampires. They don't need the extra stress that comes with a wife"
"How would you know? You ran out on yours"
"Huh? Wait, you're married?! Since when?! To who?!" Sarah exclaimed in disbelief
"Only on paper and only within the bounds of this property, again when I was sixteen and to Melanie" Jason answered in quick succession, dreading the explanation he'd have to give later as he glared at Darek for mentioning that, "Anyway about what happened in Romania, I may know someone who can help...You're not gonna like it" he informed him before sitting down
"Honestly, at this point, I'll take anything. Lay it on me"
Jason nervously nodded and after moment to prepare himself, he answered "Chase Dixon is alive and he wants to stop the Blackharts"
Darek looked shocked. The blast definitely should have killed him. Still, he quickly recovered and was ready to chew into his brother since he knew what he was planning, "And you want an alliance, is that it?"
"He's already killed one Blackhart and has overcome the temptations the other two have thrown his way"
"You know we're not supposed to let vampires live.." Darek argued, gritting his teeth "I'm not allowed to decide this. After the meeting, you should discuss it with mother and father. I doubt it'll work though"
"Thank you brother..."
"Don't need to thank me just yet. You know what could happen if this falls through" Darek reminded as the two left. Remembering the layout like the back of his hand, Jason walked up to his room on the top floor. When he opened the door, it was pristine as if he had never left. With a sigh of relief he flopped onto his bed and turned on the TV using the remote on the bedside table
"Sooooo, wanna explain this marriage crap a little more? I got the clip notes version but you said you two got married when you were sixteen and..."
"That's when you and I started dating?" Jason finished, "Yeah. That's about right"
"You don't have an issue with that?"
"Not really. I ran it by my dad and he gave the okay...with some convincing" He explained but clearly noticed that wasn't what she meant "The marriage is purely for the Order. Just part of what I meant by my life being decided for me. There's no love in that" Jason elaborated with disgust, pulling Sarah down beside him, "I guess that's why you and Chase are so important to me. I chose you guys"
"Anyone ever tell you you're a bit sappy?" She joked, started to smile as she couldn't help but snuggle into him, "Still, I'm glad I'm that important. I honestly thought for a moment you had some freaky motive or something for a bit. Wait, if you two are married does that mean...?"
"Ah ah ah, don't you dare go there! I actively avoided it. I'd never do that with her" He warning, trying to hold back his laughter at the thought. After some time watching TV together, Sarah would fall asleep. Jason however was restless, thinking of how this can go. To calm his nerves, he began doing push-ups on the cold wooden floor until he heard a knock. When he went to open it, there was Darek once again, "Ready?"
Darek simply nodded and lead him to his parents. They both awaited him, still in their long white robes and hoods that covered their entire faces, a golden cross making a sort of pointed tip on them. When Jason sat down, they removed them and both greeted their son with a smile
The father, a man with curly brown hair and a bushy beard, was the first to speak "Ah, welcome home son. I was surprised when Darek told us you were back. How is...what's that girl's name?"
"Sarah. She's upstairs asleep right now," Jason answered, his face blank. He had never entirely gotten along with his parents. While he was granted more freedom than most Inquisitors, he still felt chained by them. He loved them of course but he couldn't hide his animosity, "It's good to see you guys again but I'm afraid I don't have time for pleasantries so I'll get to the point. Chase is alive and he wants to stop the Blackharts"
The two parents were silent. That silence quickly shifted to anger as the father. He reached over the coffee table and grabbed Jason by his shirt, "You said you put him down!"
"I lied...And he's done more than we ever have!" Jason argued, clawing at his father's hand. Eventually he broke out and reached for his sword in case this got messy, "But he's going to die along with the rest of us if we don't work together. The Vampire's are mobilizing. That's why our Romanian forces are gone. Now Chase has defeated a Blackhart with some help. Imagine what he can do with our backing?"
"He's a Vampire. Killing them is our duty" The mother reminded calmly, moving her jet black hair aside after her husband's speed messed it up
"With all due respect mother, where has that gotten us?" Jason asked "The Inquisitors have existed in one form or another since the Crusades and we've barely made a dent and none of us were ever capable of harming a even the weakest Blackhart"
"And off those grounds alone, you'd have us compromise our main objective?"
"Not just that... If you won't listen to reason, I'll stake my life on it. I'll demand the Trials of Purity!" He insisted, silencing them all, "If I pass, the Inquisitors will help the Kin Slayers stop this. If I fail, we'll stick to tradition. Not only will you kill him, you can kill me for betraying the Order"
The parents stared with wide eyes. To think their son, born and raised a Vampire Hunter, would sacrifice his life for one of them was absurd. Still, Jason's glare was firm, unyielding. Knowing he wouldn't back down, his father relented, "Fine. I will discuss it with the council. We will choose our representative. Go revel in you infidelity for the night and see if you can pass the trials" he scoffed before leaving the room with just mother and son alone in the room
"Forgive me, mother. But I need to do what I think is right" He said softly, unable to look her in the eye but instead of replying, she simply smiled and left, only saying two words
"Good luck..."
The following morning, Jason prepared. Sarah watched, pacing in a state of panic, "So you're telling me that you're gambling your life? And your parents are cool with that?"
"Nowhere did I say that last part. Still, every Inquisitor is entitled to one Trial of Purity in their life"
"And what does this trial entail exactly? It's not something crazy, right?" She asked but Jason didn't answer, instead loading his rifle and bathing his sword in Holy Water. In truth, he didn't know what would happen. A Trial of Purity was between the contestant and the Council. No one was to know what actually happened outside of those two parties. Still, he readied himself, calming his mind as he walked out of his room and through the mansion towards the library. Every Inquisitor had a secret chamber in their home, normally hidden even from their fellows. In the case of the Tombs family, it was attached to an elevator behind a bookcase in the very back. The door itself couldn't simply be pried open. Even a Vampire's enhanced strength would struggle with that. Instead, the user would have to press a small switch, one that was perfectly hidden by the compact books. One flick and the door would fling open with no regard for anyone or anything in the way, the silver blades attached, slashing at any monster that managed to find the button. Of course he knew these tricks. He was born here after all and thus avoided it the moment it swung, revealing the elevator. The ride down grew more and more tense, likely an intentional design choice to further shake the will of the contestant and Jason would be lying if he said he didn't feel as if he were going down into the deepest blackest pits of Hell. Eventually the long ride down came to an end. He walked in to the black room, standing in the singular light as if to be judged. Five pillars, one for each commander of each continent, came out before turning on to reveal a cloaked figure, wearing the same robes as his parents
"Jason Tombs, we have been made away of your request for the Trial of Purity" one of the robed men spoke who by his voice, was obviously his own father, "State your terms before the council"
"Should I fail this trial, not only should Chase Dixon be allowed to live, but we as an Order, shall aid him in the coming war against the Vampires" Jason answered simply, his voice firm as if to show no signs of weakness
"This is treason of the highest Order, boy. You do understand what may happen if you fail?" A robed woman asked with a thick British accent
"I do and given how an entire country's worth of your forces are gone, I would assume you would understand, Commander"
"No amount of forces justifies siding with our enemies!" The Commander of Africa exclaimed in outrage
"Keep in mind, that is not our choice to make, not our case" The Commander of Asia reminded "I believe you said you picked our representative yourself, correct Commander of North America?"
His father simply nodded as another light shined, revealing Melanie, wearing a pure white dress as her typical ponytail was instead tied into a bun. Jason looked shocked. Why would his father choose her? He's not even giving him a fair chance. Not only would she be biased against him but if this came down to a fight, he'd certainly lose. Though she didn't look dressed for combat "What's this about? How is it not up to you to judge?"
"Just be quiet and you'll find out" Melanie said with disdain. In a flash of light, a large man appeared. He had short blonde hair, a face without so much as a single wrinkle and wore silky white and red robes. While his size was impressive, the bigger shock was the white wings that held him in the air
"Greetings Mortals, I am Uriel" he declared, shocking Jason as the council stood unphased
"Lord Uriel, this young man wishes for us to aid a Vampire in slaying his own kind" his father explained
"I see. Very well, make your case, starting with the opposed party"
Melanie wasted no time stepping forward, "Lord Uriel, such a suggestion is absurd. You gave us this holy task to defend humanity from these beasts. We cannot make an exception just because he may help us kill more Vampires because he remains a threat," she explained rather eloquently,"Not only that but we should take into account that the Vampire in question was raised by a deserter. It is not unlikely that he could hold a grudge. Say we do help him in this supposed war that's coming, he could then strike us while we're weakened when the fighting is done. We are already disadvantaged. We cannot afford to give the enemy further chance to do us harm"
"Hmmmm, so you are arguing that besides your duty, aiding him could pose a risk to the Order?" Uriel summerized, nodding as he stroked his chin before turning to Jason "Now what does the defense say?"
Jason gulped, clearly nervous. Sweat went down his face as he thought of the possibilities. What if he was wrong? Even if he wasn't, could he convince an archangel of that? But for some reason, Uriel smiled. A simple smile was all it took to warm his heart and calm his soul, "While you make good point, I have worked with Chase Dixon for some time now and in that time, he has done more for our cause without even trying than we have in the centuries since our creation. I would also like to point out that Chase had no knowledge of the Inquistors nor his father's involvement until recently. He had no reason to hold a grudge"
"You think that but-!" Melanie tried to interrupt but was forced into silence by Uriel's gaze
"It may not be perfect and I know I'm asking a lot. I won't even deny my biases. Chase Dixon is like a brother to me and I don't want to see him harmed. But my bias does not devalue my argument. If protecting humanity means letting one Vampire live, I'd say we should do it" Jason concluded, laying his heart bare for all to see. If this wasn't enough, he was truly unsure what would be. Uriel hummed as his light floated down between them. It simply stayed there, its heat not dissimilar to that of the sun
"While the deed in question is important, so too is the intention. My light shall be drawn to the purest soul with the best of intent" Uriel explained, confusing Jason
"Really? But what about everyone else? Good intentions alone do not ensure a good result!" Melanie protested once again, seemingly bewildered
"Even the power of Archangels is limited, child. I cannot decide the correct outcome, only decide who wishes to aid their fellow man the most, the Archangel elaborated as the light shook in place before gradually levitating to the left, towards Jason when suddenly, the doors were slammed open
"What is the meaning of this?! Who dares interrupt the trial?" The Commander of Asia exclaimed in outrage as Derek dropped to one knee
"My apologies, Commanders but our defenses have been breached! A Vampire is on the mansion grounds"
"Then get rid of it!" Their father demanded, enraged
"We're trying! We sent three squads before he even reached the courtyard.. They haven't reported back" Derek explained. Without a word, Jason began checking his rifle, making sure it was prepped before heading to the door
"And where are you going?"
"Where do you think? Your son just told you there was a Vampire in your home" Jason answered, not even bothering to face them
"Tradition states that once a Trial of Purity has begun, no one may leave until it's finished. You dare waste Lord Uriel's ti-" his father started to ask before quickly being silenced as Jason snapped around
"With all due respect, fuck Lord Uriel's time! Once again, tradition is making things so much harder! You already took most of my life away from me because of your 'tradition'. I'm not letting our people lose all of theirs" Jason retorted before he charged out of the room. The council began mumbling in anger and disbelief, so much so that they didn't noticed Derek and Melanie running out. As for the Archangel whom he had just blatantly disrespected, he simply looked to the father with a soft smile. Once Jason finally made it back up from the long elevator ride, he was shocked. Blood and guts spewed around the mansion. It was barely possible to recognize the countless men, women and children they once belonged to. Still, one thing stood out. The gore only went one way. This wasn't some mindless massacre. It was a hunt, and God help whoever was in the hunter's way. Following the trail, it didn't take long to see it went to his room, where Godwyn was holding Sarah by the throat. Jason wasted no time, firing on the Blackhart who dropped Sarah to the ground "Keep your hands off her!"
Godwyn turned to him, chuckling as he dug the silver bullets out of his body, "Ah, the boy from the party. I didn't expect to see you here" he said without a care in the world as Jason slowly approached, his gum constantly trained on him as Sarah stumbled behind him
"What are you after?"
"Hm? Oh nothing major, just a uhhh.. damn what do you mortals call them? A cell phone?" He asked, stunning Jason. All this for a damn phone? Jason couldn't even respond before suddenly feeling a hand tightening around his throat "But I don't see why I can't let the Kin Slayer's runt suffer a little" he whispered, tossing Jason out of the room and into the wall. He was dazed but even through his blurry vision, he could see the knee coming for his head and barely roll out of the way. Godwyn turned to him with a grin only to be met with a vial of holy water thrown into his eyes. He roared out in pain before punching the floor and causing it to crumble. To save himself from the fall to the floor below, he fired the grappling hook stored in his gauntlet, hooking into the ceiling as he rained gun fire. Sadly Godwyn dodged every shot is if the automatic weapon were firing one shot between reloads. Eventually the clicking of the guy could be heard and Godwyn struck, slashing at the cable that held him and causing him to plummet onto the floor below and straight onto his back. Suddenly, he felt... nothing. Anything in below his waste just had no feeling. Still he bit down, refusing to let Godwyn have the satisfaction as he approached like predator eyeing up its wounded prey, "Not bad, runt. But you can only play chicken for so long"
"On that, we agree" Jason groaned and managed to pull out his sword. He went for one final stab but in a swift motion, Godwyn caught it, hissing in pain as the silver cut his palm. He then snatched the sword away and stabbed him through the heart. Sarah had finally recovered, just in time and covered her mouth in shock as she started to break down into tears. Pulling the blade out of Jason's chest, he approached her, ready to have her join him. But as he raised the sword, he was lit up by holy bullets, making him leap back. Derek and Melanie had finally arrived after having collected her gear. When they saw Jason's lifeless body, their gaze shifted from indifference to anger, pushing forward as they kept shooting. This was different from Jason. The duo weren't scrambling to decide what to do. When their guns were emptied, their swords were drawn just as quick, Melanie going straight for his neck with a wid slash, causing Godwyn to back up only for Derek to swing over her with his grappling hook and stab him in the shoulder with the retractable blade his prosthetic held. Even with his enhanced speed, he couldn't recover as they predicted where he would go and strike at just the right time. It was actually somewhat exciting for the middle child of the Blackharts
"You're good! A lot more coordinated than that ru-" he started to praise only to have his jaw slashed off. Due to the early start they got, unloading their rifles in him while he was distracted with Sarah, his healing was greatly slowed
"Don't you dare talk about my husband like that you blood sucking spawn of Satan!" Melanie exclaimed in a rage, running him through the stomach before jumping back to dodge his claws. Instead of continuing though, he pulled a paper out of his pocket. It then erupted into flames and in a flash of crimson light, he vanished. With the fighting over, Melanie rushed to Jason's body. Sarah was already beside it, sobbing. Gritting her teeth and holding back her own tears, she grabbed Sarah's shoulder "Get up. He wouldn't want you to cry..."
Sarah most certainly got up, clutching the blonde's vest in rage, "So now you care what he wants?! Where was that care when he was sixteen and forced into marrying you?! Where was that care when you people tried to force him to kill his best friend?! Huh?!" she screamed, getting in her face as her fist clenched tighter. The whole time, Melanie just took her verbal assault
Derek watched in silence, contemplating her words. Did the traditions of the Order truly outweigh the wants of his brother? As these thoughts went through his head, he saw the light from the Trial slowly drift past. It navigated the debris, over the two grieving women before letting itself be absorbed by Jason's body
Looking around, all Jason saw was pure white "Where... am I...?" he muttered before looking down at the gaping hole in his chest "Oh yeah, that's right. I'm dead" he said with a chuckle that slowly devolved into sobbing, "I'm sorry, Sarah... Chase..."
"Why apologize here? They cannot hear you" Uriel said, appearing before him "If you must apologize, do so to their faces"
Jason was surprised, stumbling back before tripping onto the ground,"L-Lord Uriel! What are you doing here?"
"You passed the trial. My light chose you, " he answered,"Sadly I you had already passed by the time it had arrived. But it is not too late"
"What? Are you saying I can come back from death?" Jason asked, prompting a chuckle from the Archangel
"No, only the Son of the Lord may rise again. However, you can be born again as one of my angels" he explained, leaving Jason stunned "Not only will you return to life, but you will receive new power as an avatar of my will. Still, the choice is yours. You have earned your rest if that's what you desire" Uriel assured and in response, Jason closed his eyes. It took a minute to think. He would love to see his friends again but that may mean dying again, getting hurt again. If he's earn his peace, should he take it?
"I choose..."
Five minutes go by as the Council awaits, debating whether or not to leave. Eventually the doors open again and Jason, Derek, Melanie and Sarah all approach
"About time you returned but you're too late," The Commander of Africa scoffed "Lord Uriel is gone and as such the Trial is moot"
"Have you any words before your execution?" Jason's father asked, his voice a bit raspy as if fighting back his sadness. Jason stood silent for but a moment before looking at them all with a large grin as from his back sprouted massive white wings and a golden halo circled around his head
"Lord Uriel isn't gone! I have been reborn as an angel, Avatar of his and God Almighty's will! I have passed my trial and I demand we join the Kin Slayers in their fight against Dracula and New Wallachia! Comply or take or up with God"
Back in New Wallachia, Godwyn knocked on the door to Eli's room. It was just a formality though as he opened anyway and tossed him the busted phone,"It got destroyed during the fight. Can you still salvage it?" he asked as his jaw regrew
"Oh I'm sure I can. You did good bringing this to me instead of Chizuru" Eli praised, looking it over
"Well we both know she can't be trusted"
Eli laughed in response,"Too true, uncle. Now do please do something about that sword. You're getting blood all over my floor" he insisted and sure enough, Godwyn left. All the while, Eli stared at the device that would bring terror upon their enemies