"So it's true? You're just like Father Nightroad, the whole Crusnik deal?" She watched the ash from the lit cigarette between his fingers build before crumbling from its own weight. Her nose crinkled at the foul and sharp sting of tobacco. Instead of responding like a normal human being, the girl opted to stare at the conscripted priest like a cat full of judgment. Why in god's name Caterina Sforza paired the two as partners was beyond Eve's understanding, for a challenging assignment no less. From what she was aware of, Leon and herself had zero compatibility. The only common denominator of the allocated pairing was their affiliation with the Papal State Affairs Special Operations Section, Arcanum Cella Ex Dono Dei, AX for short.
Leon flicked the cigarette over the railing, the bright burning end disappeared, quickly engulfed by the darkness. Eve took that gesture as a sign to begin their work and refrained from rolling gray eyes heavenward. She turned on a heeled boot, relieved she no longer had to idly inhale the rank-smelling cloud of toxins. The Crusnik was capable of a variety of feats but holding her breath was not one of them. Literally and figuratively.
"Have you both arrived?" A voice crackled through the transmitter. It was Sister Kate.
"We're in the vicinity and approaching the marked location." answered Eve.
"I've preemptively scouted the area and it doesn't seem as if there are guards around the perimeter but a group of four people entered the complex from the northeast entrance a minute ago. I'm also picking up bizarre readings. There seems to be a cluster of something...something very unusual inside the building together with the former party."
Both Eve and Leon glanced at one another as they arrived to the same conclusion - Autojagers were en masse. Autojagers, also known as Death Hunters, were deceased Methuselahs who were altered into living dead soldiers. They were a sight to behold, paused in a state of decomposition. For the few that have boldly peered under their masks, Autojagers had stark white faces, their eyes and mouths haphazardly sewn shut with dense threads. With their frontal lobes removed, they became lifeless dolls incapable of judgment.
The abnormal electrical impulses given off were Dietrich's doing. The puppeteer had utilized string-like fibers, transplanting them into the nervous system of the dead which allowed him to control each animated corpse; a twisted exhibition of power and boredom with the aid of lost technology.
The AX agents' steps fell in line with one another as they approached the designated entrance. Long black coats with silver lining and intricate metal clasps hugged their frames making them difficult to distinguish against the murky setting. Even though she was neither a priest or a nun, Eve dawned the AX priest attire rather than the nun's garb. All AX members were required to wear the AX uniform... but they never specified which one.
Apparently, spitting on cultural norms was second nature for Eve.
Underneath the coat, however, she sported a form-fitting bodysuit, complete with a plunging neckline. Omitted from the customized suit was the entire right sleeve. Contrary to popular belief, the asymmetrical design had a purpose rather than solely being an avant garde fashion statement. Leon, on the other hand, had yet to find a top to his liking and humbly elected displaying a chiseled bare chest under an unbuttoned coat much to Eve's displeasure.
As Leon opened his mouth to speak, Eve tilted her head, bringing an index finger to her glossed lips. Muted voices traveled through the door, "- and tonight we will send a select few Autojagers that will initiate attacks when needed. Pope Alessandro will be taken without issues. I can assure you that much Melchior."
"Famous last words," muttered Eve, just barely above a whisper, "Did you catch all of that, Dandelion?"
"Aw that's sweet, you remember my code name," Leon chuckled, "Heard 'em loud and clear. If I knock out more Autojagers than you, let me take you out on a coffee date. Whatcha say?"
"As long as it's a coffee with cream and thirteen sugars, sure. You're totally paying too." She pushed up the sleeves of the embellished uniform. With a deft motion, she dug a manicured nail into the soft skin of her exposed forearm, "Crusnik Zero Five, limitation at 20%...acknowledged."
Eve's pale features remained stoic while the sentient beings prickled uncomfortably in her veins, pushing through capillary walls and boring into muscle fibers. The Priest's amber eyes watched her blood coil down towards her hand. The slightly viscous fluid warped and spiraled with purpose from the self-inflicted wound liken to a ravenous snake preparing to strike. It was a mesmerizing phenomenon that implied the girl was certainly more than just a pretty face.
Soon, her slender fingers were encased by crimson tendrils materialized from the pooled blood. This resulted in creating claw-like extensions capable of lengthening into piercing blades: an optimal weapon to sever nerves with precision, specifically nerves of Autojagers. Leon had seen Crusnik Zero Two, Abel Nightroad, display comparable abilities on countless occasions. Still, it was fairly unsettling to witness a talent like that because...Well, f***, he mused. It wasn't just merely blood - it was the Crusnik Bacillus nanomachines at play.
"I now understand how Caterina picked your moniker," he grasped at the polished chakrams against his belt, "Insatiable sweet tooth and all those fancy blood tricks? That whole ensemble truly does ring a bell. You're Father Nightroad...if he was a blue-haired chick that is."
"Never got to meet the guy," she informed with a shrug.
"Maybe one day if he comes back. Alright, are you ready Ringabel?"
"Always."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 1 - Unnatural Selection
