Vatican City Violated (Open)

[michael]

Roman Catholicism was the most powerful and widespread faith on the planet Earth, but to a man like Michael Sanford it was a blight upon humanity that had its end long overdue. When you had seen all of the things he had seen it made you look at religion in a different light, when you had met the true higher powers behind the universe you could not help but look back on the web of lies and falsehoods people clung to in the form of Christianity and a vast majority of the other of Earth's many different faiths.

Now he was in the process of tracking a festering corruption far more severe than a false faith to the very heart and origin of Christianity itself; Vatican City.

Cardinal McGuire walked with purpose through the fine marble halls of the Vatican, the Pope was in the main hall receiving visitors for his birthday today and the Cardinal would be ever so sorry to miss it. He was a tall and imposing man from Ireland who caused everyone to move out of his way as he walked by, he was also the youngest Cardinal in recent years at only forty seven years of age this brought him great respect from his younger peers in the priesthood and the ire of his elders who had been passed up for promotion in his wake.

But there were a few things of note that were off about Cardinal McGuire today, first of all was the fact he marched as though he was a soldier on parade rather than his usual swagger of self-importance, second of all and perhaps more important were that his eyes did not seem full of emotion and instead gave a cold glazed impression like a man who was not all there. Such was his influence though that none he passed questioned him until he was stood in front of the Pope himself, sat there with his old eyes masking what he really was.

"Cardinal McGuire, how nice of you to join us." he said, in his native Spanish of course. "Are you all right? You seem distant."

"Yes, I am quite all right." he replied in an eerie monotone.

There was no time for the Pope to respond as Cardinal McGuire pulled a glock from his robes, as the entire hall recoiled at the sight of the weapon and the Swiss Guard tried to reach him in time he unloaded two rounds into the Pope's chest. The bullets gained a strange aura to them as they flew through the air as runes carved into the surface became to work, cutting through the Pope and causing his insides to literally explode until he merely crumbled into dust before their very eyes.

"Strigoi filth," he uttered in the same monotone.

No sooner had he said it than explosions shook the very foundations of the Vatican, timed perfectly and placed to literally wipe the building and its inhabitants out the building went up in a burst of flame and smoke that enveloped all of its occupants. Fortunately no members of the general public had been present that day because of the ceremonies being held within, as the emergency services rushed to Vatican city to try and put out the blaze and begin rescue attempts for any survivors under the rubble Michael looked on from his vantage atop a nearby building.

He fell back into a chair out of mental exhaustion, controlling the Cardinal from this distance and to such a degree with his psychic abilities had been extremely taxing but worth it. Nobody on Earth would know the truth, they would put it down to extremism of some sort in the form of terrorism but Michael had just wiped out a hive of Sorcerers and Strigoi. In his mind it was a job well done, not to mention the deep satisfaction he got from destroying what he considered a major source of the lies and illusion humanity lived behind every day.

"This won't end well," he said quietly, rubbing his face with both hands.

[devante]

The sun beamed down upon the Roman streets as a flock of tourists and locals gathered to see a small group of street musicians play. The sound filling that authentic atmosphere known in Rome giving the audience exactly what they had wanted. The musicians had just began their fourth song attracting the eyes of more pedestrians looking for a rest from their sightseeing. But for one overly tall man this was not the case, he had first been drawn to the trio of men by the indigenous Roman instruments being used. The first man held a Lyre, an instrument that should have been seen everywhere during the earlier days of Rome, the second man; a husky fellow with a large beard stood holding Tympani which made quite the hilarious Cameo to look upon. A large man holding such a small instrument tapping away, no wonder the group had drawn many eyes already. The last man looked like your average vagabond sitting on a wooden three-legged stool strumming away at a harp.

The tall man had been very content with his hands in his pockets watching the group listening to the Roman music which varied considerably from his previous visit to earth. But that was before smoke starting to spread from the horizon coming from the City Vatican. Taking a silent step back into one of the many thin strips of cobbled stone pathways, the man simply disappeared only to be seen next outside the burning remains of the city. Another ruin to add to the site seeing, the police currently fencing off the areas seemed to believe it to be because of some terrorist attack, though this man thought different.

The tall man next appeared in front of a well defined figure who sat somewhat smugly in a chair. As Devante assessed the figure he smoothly wiped down his black top hat taking in a deep breath before remarking in a quiet voice "What a strange thing to do..." His expression from what you could see behind his thick black shades was somewhat darkened by the over-grown black hair in front of his face, but his tone was nothing serious. He raises his top hat slightly with a white gloved hand as if to greet the man, followed by a tilt of his shades revealing golden eyes and defined black eyebrows that quirked up expectingly "Hobby?"

[michael]

Michael showed some remorse in destroying the Vatican, while it was home to such disgusting and vile beings as strigoi, it had still been an area of beauty and a piece of human history obliterated. He could have blamed himself for destroying it but he found it easier to blame the evils he faced every day, they had made a home there and thus it had become necessary to take this course of action to remove its stain from his home world. As he took a swig of water from his worn military flask his mind couldn't help but dwell on how daemons and their ilk destroyed everything they touched, including many of his closest friends in his own universe.

When the man appeared in front of him Michael had his side-arm raised and aimed at him before he could even lift that top hat in greeting. He relaxed his weapon arm after a moment however, he had known enough immortals to know what Devante was and he pushed the pistol into the holster it had been drawn from that rested beside his chair. "Hobby implies I take satisfaction in what I do," he replied plainly, looking past the man out of the window at the smoke and rubble. "Look at that, immortal. It was a magnificent and beautiful place filled with history for my planet, but the servants of daemons filled it with far more than false religion."

He rubbed his temples momentarily, still mentally exhausted from the mind control he had performed on the Cardinal that had shot the Pope, not that anybody would ever know what had taken place now all of the witnesses lay buried in the rubble. "They made it decay from the inside and drove me to take action, destroying a fine piece of human architecture." He sat up straighter in his chair, eyes still tired from exhaustions but seeming more alert as his hands grip the arms of his chair. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, Edmund Burke. He was a human too."

[devante]

Devante straightend to his full height pulling his top hat back down to cast a silhoutte over his already covered eyes. "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never what your gunna get. Forest Gump." The tall, lean man looked as if he had travelled back intime, wearing Gothic Victorian clothing with the singular white glove upon his right hand. At his sides holstered in black leather sat two pistols as black as the rest of his appearence connected by a chain that seemed well covered by his trench coat. "S' a good movie you should see it."Dante takes a step closer towards the man as if to get a better look at him, taking note of his half hearted attitude. Reaching into his coat, Dante takes out a brown pipe placing it between his extremley pale lips. Inhaling slowly he stays leant down infront of the man stationed on the chair letting out a blow of bubbles into his general direction. "But on a more serious tone... that was quite the act you pulled off with that city. I enjoyed the coffee and the architecture it had to offer..." Taking the pipe from his lips he would look down to the hand cradling the wooden pipe as if in a distant manner "..Once." Standing back up he takes a complimentary step back, within one singular movement his hand retrieves his hat from his head followed into a deep bow. "Devante A'vron from The Dragos Midnight." Standing once again Dante smoothly replaces his hat whilst at the same time removing his shades as if not able to decide what accessorie suited him best. " I'm not here to cause trouble, simply a conveyor of arts pondering what drove the man who destroyed a city to crumble such architecture. But intrigingly enough it would seem you know about immortals more than I had anticipated."

[michael]

Michael's eyebrows visibly raised at the introduction, giving the young man a once over he supposed he could see the family connection, other members of the A'vron family had raven hair instead of red too though he doubted this was one of Isaan's children because he knew all of them at this point from his meetings with the Seth of this universe. "Dragos Midnight, huh?" he replied, chuckling faintly. "I should have known this would attract one of you, even if you weren't aware of the cult."

Slowly he leaned forward to look at Devante square in the eyes, "So, which A'vron are you the child of?" he asked, studying his face for a moment and then leaning back. "You don't look like you could be Seth's and the resemblance is too far gone for you to be one of Seth's brothers instead." He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, this human knew far more of the universe than any human should, they were a people who did not even have interstellar travel and yet he knew the names of important figures in the immortal world.

"I destroyed it to cut the head off a snake," he explained, leaning back into his chair again and looking up at the immortal. "The cult that had wormed its way into the very heart of the vatican, made up of sorcerers and strigoi. This was the first chance I've ever had to strike at them all at once, much easier than hunting each one individually and risking the leaders managing to escape."

[devante]

Dante's lips formed the feintest of smiles with the pipe still planted between them as he exhaled giving way to more bubbles that hung in the air. Taking the pipe from his lips he tapped the end of it against his chin "One of Isaan's less heard of children, Thia A'vron. I am her only son as of yet it would seem. My father is Castiel Sa'len, whether you know of the two is of little importance I suppose." If Michael had heard of or indeed seen his parents the physical appearence would look almost a perfect split of the two, though his characterics where obviously linked to his Grand Father Isaan's. "Depends what sort of snakes your talking about here. If you cutt off the head of one it has the chance to grow back with another to accompany it." Upon saying this Dante closed a book that seemingly appeared from nowhere titled 'Greek Mythology, true or false?'

Either the man was toying with Michael or he was just strange, though he seemed to have no intent to cause problems for him. "So human, what connection do you have with the immortals and with my uncle Seth? When ever I hear his name it always means some trouble... And I hardly want a day trip to Rome to turn into a goose chase of sorts." He would go on to mutter to himself about never leaving his island again, though it would be hard to make out as he takes another exhale to his pipe. Dante paces around Michael studying him closely before taking a perch on the side of his chair not really noting 'personal space' as his gaze lowers to his shiny shoes.

[michael]

Michael peered at the book he closed and then back up at his face without any sign of care over the whole thing, by now he was used to the odd mannerisms of immortals and he just took this one's quirks in his stride. At the question about his connections with immortals and particularly Seth came up, he shifted on his chair and closed his eyes to red one temple in a slow circular motion again while he replied.

"I know immortals and they know me," he said plainly. "Your Seth and I have no connection, that is to say we have met and are on civil grounds. I come from another universe where my version of Seth is my commanding officer." He finally opened his eyes and lowered the hand from his temple again, he seemed mentally refreshed now or at least more lucent than he had been when Devante had first entered the room. "I know your grandfather quite well though, we've sat down and had a few... chats." He paused, remembering their last one where he had told Isaan about the death of the woman he loved.

[James]

"Curious. I often times wonder about Isaan's motives when he takes an interest in Mortals. Used to be for..well, he used to be so different. Predictable. These days, though..." Léona smiled "Oh, excuse me, how rude. Michael, was it? You may call me Léona. Hello, Devante."

She had appeared out of nowhere. Tall, slim and with short, blonde hair - Léona was quite beautiful. In this guise as a human, she wore a close-fitting, strapless red silk dress which came to just above her knees, black high-heel shoes, the straps criss-crossing their way up her calves and she also had on a pair of designer sunglasses, but her striking blue eyes were still visible beneath the only slightly tinted glass.

"So, Christianity was just a front for Daemons, Sorcerers and Strigoi after all. We should've known - acted sooner. Oh well, not much we can do about it now. Please, Michael - allow me to help. I have but one condition - any books, tomes, relics, artifacts or anything else of any cultural or intellectual value must remain untouched and unspoiled. Deal?"

She looked him straight in the eyes as she spoke. Not to be intimidating, but to simply show that she was sincere in wanting to help.

[devante]

As Léona entered the room Devante visably recoiled with exaggerated horror plastered on his gentle gothic-victorian features. falling back off the chair as a slam of his fist can be heard. "Damn you she devil, why can't you enter the room like a normal person. Doors are made for knocking!" He hypocritically stated, seeing as he himself appeared from nowhere. His features softened to reveal the cheeky smirk his mother used to always have during her teenage years.
As Léona stated about helping Michael, he immidiatly stood up and dusted his elaborate clothing down, adjusting his top hat accordingly. "I do believe I have first say in tagging along with this squabble, I never did like the whole 'jesus on a cross thing' so tacky and out dated." He spoke as he munched on the end of a cigar looking between the two. "I'll be comming along for the banter of it all I assure you. Plus I do love sight seeing."Reaching into his pocket he produces a small pink flower for Léona being the odd ball that is he.

[michael]

It was probably ironic that Devante had reacted more strongly to Leona's sudden appearance than Michael, who had merely canted his head to one side and lifted a curious eyebrow at the arrival of a second immortal. He allowed Devante to play out his dramatic reaction to her arrival, then gave her a nod of greeting while she introduced herself as Leona - another name he recognised from his conversations with Isaan.

"You know," he began, peering up at the pair. "I relish the day I meet an immortal and his or her family name is not A'vron."

Michael was a man completely unafraid of sassing immortals, after so long with Seth in his own world he didn't see them as much different from anyone else, except that they had unending life and cosmic powers and most normal folk in the universe didn't. Well except the Melaer and nobody counted the Melaer, that was like counting a cat in a dog pound or something.

Listening to the pair voice their desire to aid him in his war with the Vaticanus he couldn't help but feel a little surprised, immortals rarely ever offered a mortal to deal with a problem like this in his experience.

"Not all Christian foundations are corrupt albeit they do preach a false religion," he replied, "but the Catholic church is run entirely by sorcerers and until recently strigoi."

He looked momentarily toward the church at that, indicating clearly that the strigoi had all died in the explosion he had set off having taken the highest roles acting as cardinals and indeed the pope. This also explained Michael's mental exhaustion, which generally wouldn't quite so severe with a normal person, but strigoi had powerful minds which were much more difficult to overcome.

"I'll accept your offer though, I will ensure all of the knowledge the Vaticanus had hoarded over the centuries finds itself in the hands of the Illuminated." he said, "But in return there is one book I want for myself; Malleus Maleficarum, 'Hammer of the Witches'. Let's say I have a vested interest in the text along with a theory."

[sundavar]

Sundavar made his way carefully through the streets of Rome, his searching eyes hidden by sunglasses. Earth was one of a handful of planets he liked to keep an eye on (he couldn't explain why...he just felt a certain affinity to humans) so when one of its foremost religious sites suddenly exploded, he had known about it fairly quickly. As much as he hated religion, particularly since he knew they were all wrong, it seemed unusual enough to warrant looking into, and it wasn't as though he had anything better to do.

So he walked the packed streets in typical tourist gear; T-shirt, shorts, baseball cap on his head and rucksack on his back. Not that he liked the outfit, but he has learned from experience that no one else did either- people seemed to ignore tourists almost by instinct.

He muttered a low curse when he came to the site of the bombing only to find it fenced off by the police. Why did they have to get involved anyway? It's not like they had any idea what happened. Of course, he didn't either. But they could at least have the decency to let an Inquisitor through without pestering him. This was why secluded planets always irritated him, always with the disguises and the interruptions...

Stopping in his tracks, he reversed direction and ended up in a deserted back alley, fortunately bathed in shadow despite the sunlit streets surrounding it. A heartbeat or two later, he was once again dressed in the leather armour he found comfortable and stood in the centre of the ruined Vatican City, his teleportation having been hidden from passers-by. After quickly making himself invisible to most mortals, he began to explore the ruins in search of something that would explain the cause of the explosion and perhaps the reason for it.

Some time later, he got lucky. A gleam of sunlight on metal caught his eye, and he located the charred and partially melted remains of a gun. Despite the damage to it, he took it apart expertly and couldn't help smiling when he found it's clip of runed bullets. Holding it up to the light, he examined the etchings along it and confirmed that only someone with knowledge of daemons would be able to make it. "I always said priests were hypocrites..." he muttered before pocketing the bullet and making his way back through the ruins.

Once again disguised in the streets, Sunny began to explore with his mind in an attempt to locate any nearby immortals- by this point he was certain that if the owner of the gun was mortal, the explosion would certainly have drawn others than himself. Now that Leona was present, he was able to locate the higher immortal and teleported himself just outside the door leading to the room where the three were currently gathered. Dressing himself in his Dragos Midnight uniform, he put a hand to one of his knives (just in case) and knocked the door.

[James]

Léona grinned at Devante as he fell over and chuckled slightly at his outburst. She then nodded to Michael in acceptance of his terms. "As you wish. Keep it in good condition though, won't you? I'm sure you'll take good care of it, and we'll just get it after you're gone, anyway." she smiled, not trying to sound indimidating or mean in any way - merely stating plain facts.

Léona's eyes darted to the door at the knock, a small flicker of blue flame curled along her slender fingers for a moment before she stopped frowning and smiled. She waved her hand and Sundavar would be teleported right in front of her. She then grabbed him and embraced him in a tight hug. "Fred! Long time no see. How are things?"

[devante]

Devante stood up wiping down his long jacket before attending to the cufflings on his shirt commenting towards both Léona and Michael "I swear if another person appears without using that door I -will- kill someone!" he would naturually not hear the knock on the door let alone be prepared for when Léona transported Fred into the room. Stumbling back he'd reach to his top hat and raise it like a gentleman would to greet someone. Only as he raised the hat a fat relitivly young penguin balanced on his head would be revealed. Grabbing onto the penguins webbed feet he'd swipe it off his head and point it head first at Fred, the penguin straightening with it's body making a perfectly viable club. "I warned you all! Didn't I say! You've made me use it. Now nobody move or Jeremy will slap you around like a fish out of water." The penguin reffered to as Jeremy would lift it's own top hat and reveal a wet fish waving it underneath Fred's nose as he's hugged by Léona.

After atleast a two minute pause Dante places Jeremy down cautiously "I see.. you all know who'd the most powerful here. Good... good.." A wry smile spread on his lips, the penguin slumping down in the hot room as it looks around for food.

[michael]

Michael just sat there watching the scene unfold, he had come to expect this kind of strange behaviour from immortals though he had to admit Devante was pushing it with the oddities. He watched the Penguin as he seemed to scan the area for something to eat while sitting there, eventually just shaking his head and standing up to walk out of the room. "Well this was a blast, but I've got a planet to save." he said, coming to a halt as he nearly walked directly into a female police officer who had been coming to ask around due to the proximity of the building to the explosion.

She began speaking to him in a ramble of Italian while he stared at her blankly, when she was done he raised a hand to his chin and seemed to rub it thoughtfully, as though considering his response while the woman looked past him at the three individuals in the room he had just exited. When her eyes fell upon the penguin she seemed confused beyond all reason and decided to just look back at Michael, who still seemed to be pondering his response to whatever she has asked in Italian.

"Pasta," he said, eventually.

"Che Cosa?" she asked, looking confused.

"I don't know what you're on about, woman." he said off-hand, shaking his head.

"Ah, inglese... ah... how you... say..." she mused, trying to find the words.

Michael sighed eventually, and his pondering seemed to have worked as he had probed her mind, he suddenly began speaking to her perfectly fluently; "I miei amici ed io eravamo solo avere un po 'di bere, non avevamo idea di che cosa stava succedendo fino a quando è successo. Mi permetto di aggiungere che sono molto carina, signorina."

She looked at him stunned and then smiled and seemed a bit flustered over something he had said clearly, she nodded and just walked away before he could say anything else. He turned around to look at the others in the room, "I'd suggest leaving before she comes back and asks about the penguin."

[sundavar]

After being almost suffocated and then threatened with a penguin, Sunny decided that this was just going to be one of those days. When he finally got free of Leona's hug he muttered "Yeah, nice to see you too..." before glancing at the bird and shaking his head.

A characteristic grin slowly appeared on his face as he watched the exchange between Michael and the police officer. As soon as she was gone, he walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"So! Another telepath, eh? Well, probably different than me but always nice to find one. This is yours by the way."
He tossed the runed bullet to Michael before moving away.
"Saving the world sounds good. You have any plans?"