Chapter Text
Beatrice ran the Seville marathon once. A full, 42.2 kilometer run, inspired by reading about Sister Madonna Buder, an American Roman Catholic nun who participated in Ironman triathlons as a way to bring calmness into her life, and a way to tweak body, mind a soul. She liked the challenge of it, and the long 3 and 4 hour runs she got into, kilometers away from Cat's Cradle, brought the quiet and mindfulness she always sought. The race itself was almost an afterthought, such was her enjoyment of those practice runs.
Afterthought or not, it was indeed a physical challenge different than anything she has experienced before, and upon hitting the dreaded wall, that moment where her body simply ran out of energy, her legs turning into led. It was in those moments that she felt her training but mostly her faith, resolve and sheer stubbornness kicking though, not only carrying her across the finish line in Paseo de las Delicias, but also giving her the strength to increase her pace despite her legs and lungs screaming at her to stop.
It was only about an hour later, back at Cat's Cradle, sitting on her bed after being congratulated by her fellow Sister Warriors and earning a short 'Well Done Sister Beatrice' from Mother Superion, that she realized it was the first time her mind had quieted down. She didn't exchange words with anyone out on the course, solely focused on completing her run, and yet she suddenly felt as if she left an incredibly loud party or a room full of people who kept clamoring for her attention.
It was so quiet, so peaceful. Just like the moments after a fight ends and she deposits her weapons back into the armory, knowing she can switch back to being just a nun, putting aside the warrior for just a brief while - and all is well.
Sister Warrior Beatrice would give anything to have that peace and quiet she felt in her room, post run, now. She is as farthest from that feeling as she ever was, cramped into a 7 seater Landrover jeep - of all vehicles - that Camila hotwired off the streets in their haste to put distance between themselves and the horror they faced in the Vatican.
Camila is driving, all grim faced and focused. Not unlike the look she had on her face during their initial fight with that devil's spawn, a focused rage in her eyes as she kept shooting her arrows into Adriel. She sits in the seat next to her, and the car is silent.
Ava has the middle bench all to herself, the sisters agreeing without really talking about it that she needs the physical space to heal quicker, recharge the halo but really, just to mentally collect herself. It was so easy to forget that it was just a couple of days ago their all-over-the-place, pun loving, messy eater, heart of a lion reborn leader, was a corpse, devoid of life following a life lived in a disabled, bed ridden, quadriplegic being.
Lilith and Mary took the back seat, each one staring pensively outside.
Lilith seemed calmed, and Beatrice couldn't tell if it was just a façade, a mask put on, or maybe with everything she went through in the last couple of days, she just developed an outlook of 'come hell or high water'. She already died, went to hell and back, found out the angel she was brought up to believe his halo she will carry and protect to death, is actually a lowlife thief from the neither world - really, what else could possibly the universe throw at her.
And Mary just raged. Quietly, without saying a word, but it was there, bubbling, ready to burst out. Beatrice knew it will happen sooner or later - but for now it was reined in, and despite her momentary madness in the piazza, where Vincent's betrayal and the grief over losing Shannon in such devious circumstances seemed to have jarred her into a suicidal move, saved just moments later by Lilith descending into the crowd and pulling her out, she seemed to be all checked in. For now.
Beatrice dared not take stock of herself. It was a luxury she really couldn't afford. Her only words to Camilla, after getting into the car, were instructions to get them out of the city.
They were driving on the Autostrade per l'italia, heading to Napoli and an unknown future.
"Where are we going?" Ava asked, her voice small.
"We cannot use any of the OCS safe houses" Mary added from her seat, finally shifting her eyes from the window and forward, tired look in her eyes. "And the son of a bitch knows all our history, and there's no question he will happily share it with his master" she spat out the word, "if he hasn't already".
"He doesn't know everything" Beatrice replied, sighing. "There are several locations the OCS nuns have kept in strict confidence. Each location is shared only to two people in the convent. The Mother, and one of the sisters. It is not shared with any of the.. " she hesitated for a second and continued. "Church supervisors and leaders".
"Men, you mean" Ava added, just to clarify for everyone.
"Men, yes" Beatrice agreed. "So who has that location from our convent?" Camilla asked. "Lilith?"
"Mother Superion chose to give that location to me. It would have made sense, to share that with the future warrior nun. But it never was shared with her, traditionally, it was always one of the sister warriors who carried that information."
"And you never shared it with us?" Mary's rage bubbled. "Like it was your fucking secret to hold onto?"
But Beatrice couldn't let Mary drag her down that black hole, not yet anyways. "It precisely was. There was a reason this was kept in strict confidence, over centuries. All waiting for one moment where the need to protect the warrior nun will be stronger than the church itself. No one even knew if that moment will ever come...." she faltered for a second. "But it has".
Silence. "Put the address into the GPS" Camilla seemed to have made a decision. "We serve God, not the church. And our priority is Ava, not our own feelings and existence". And that was, perhaps, the strongest tool the 3 nuns had in their disposal, the one power they held over Ava and Mary. They whole heartedly believed the cause, dedicating their 'eternal soul' as Beatrice once put it, to protecting the warrior nun above all else. This was what helped Beatrice remain calm while Ava was inside the cave, what helped her direct Lilith's jittery energy during their wait. Ava once joked that the group was like her own secret service.
That seemed to have calmed everyone down. Lilith didn't participate in the conversation anyways, just nodded in agreement with Camilla, signed an continued looking out the window, thoughtful.
Beatrice heard a shuffle behind her, and turned to see Ava switching sides on the bench, now leaning against her seat, her fingers lightly touching her shoulders.
"Beatrice" she breathes, the movement still hurting. "How are you?"
Beatrice blinked, this was just about the last thing she expected Ava to say. Their last conversation was Ava's screaming and cursing as she was being dragged away to the car. It didn't take too long for Beatrice's sharp mind to reach the undeniable conclusion that they had no chance to beat Adriel at that moment. They simply didn't have enough knowledge or skill to deal with that card thrown on the table. They had to regroup, read through all texts and review all conversations with critical eyes, approach this fight from a different angle. They had to get out of there before they lost more than they - she - were willing to lose.
She had her moment after Ava was able to kick Adriel away and he tumbled behind the fountain, losing sight of them momentarily. As Ava lifted her sword ready to charge again, Beatrice caught her arm, throwing her off balance.
"What the fuck?!" Ava turned, enraged.
"Ava we have to go, now". Beatrice said with urgency, noticing her sisters getting ready to either head out or stay and die, protecting their warrior nun. There was no question there. But they won't die - at least, not at that moment. Not if Beatrice could help it.
"What do you mean go?" Ava looked at her, incredulously. "Have you lost your fucking mind? i'm not leaving till this shit head is dead". Ava took a step forward, and Beatrice grabbed her arm more strongly.
"No Ava, listen to me, we have to go. We cannot win this fight, and we need to understand how to do this. We can't stay here." She looked into Ava's eyes, praying her words will get through to Ava in her battle haze. "Please, trust me, we have to go now".
Ava stopped for a moment, blinking at her.
"No". She said, her mouth set in a grim line. "I'm not running away". As she turned to take another step, Beatrice didn't hesitate. Using the ring one last time, she injected a sedative into Ava's neck, knowing the halo will probably clear her blood of the serum within a second or two, but hoping this will give her the time she needed to - there we go - put Ava on her shoulder and start moving away.
"Let's go!" she heard Camilla yelling, Lilith supporting Mary and all 3 of them covering her back as they ran and shuffled outside.
As expected, the Halo kicked in and Ava announced her return to the land of living as only Ava could.
"Beatrice! Put me down! who the fuck...." she started struggling, her knees kicking Beatrice once, twice in the chest till she had choice but to stop and put her down. Ava turned, about to head back into the Piazza. Beatrice grabbed her shoulder, turning her back.
"Ava, don't make me fight you". That seemed to have stopped Ava in her tracks. "If I have to punch you out so you stop being so fucking stubborn, I will". Ava's mouth dropped open, and the same crooked smile, the 'is this our thing now' delighted face came back for a second.
"Well there's no need for such foul language, Sister Beatrice" Ava drawled, coming to a complete halt. Beatrice waited a moment, seeing the amused smiles around, despite their grim circumstances.
Camilla came back with the Landrover shortly after, and no conversations were held till just a moment ago.
"Bea." Ava's voice cuts through her thoughts again. She finds it a bit hard to focus, absentmindedly wandering if she's concussed and filing that thought away. "Are you OK?" she repeats the question, a little louder and drawing a curious look from Camilla.
"I'll be fine"
Beatrice answers, adding a small squeeze of fingers to the hand resting on her shoulder. Ava doesn't wait for permission and grabs her hand, holding her place.
"Just..." she hesitates for a moment and then gives out a small, sad smile. "I trust you. It'll be fine". She squeezes' Beatrice's fingers once again and settles back down, weary and aching, still. The halo will heal her, she has no doubt, but it's the minutes till that happens that are exhausting.
Beatrice looks at the GPS screen. "It will take us about 2 hours to get to the safe house." she announces to the car. "If it's all the same to you, we won't be making any stops on the way. I'd much like to disappear of the map as quickly as possible before we're..." the words that pops into her mind is hunted, but she won't say it out loud. They won't be tracked like poor, defenseless animals. "Let's just disappear." She says finally.
No reaction from the back. Beatrice wonders if her team is going into shock, is she about to lose her fighting unit? what are they fighting for? Is there even a mission any more?
Like a ping pong, her thoughts bounce of the walls of her mind. It goes on for the duration of the drive and by the time they reach the safe house, she is absolutely, without a doubt, exhausted.
The drive to the house took them up a mountain ("good location." Camilla mumbled as they reached the top), and into a hidden valley close to the peak, surrounded by fields. They drove through a small village and Beatrice made a note of the clinic they drove past. When the car stops, it is night, and the lights inside the house are on.
When the car stopped in front of the house, the residents of the car started moving about. Camilla stayed in with Mary and Ava, following a short discussion about perhaps not showing all their cards ("If we're cards, I want to to be the queen." Ava jumped, with Mary biting back, without even thinking. "Oh, if anything you're the joker". Ava stuck her tongue out, and for a minute this all feels normal).
Lilith now qualifies as their most formidable weapon, and both herself and Beatrice leave the car and walk slowly, carefully, to the door.
Looking from the car, Ava notes how Beatrice now carries herself as a warrior, and not a nun. It was something she took notice of a while ago - when Beatrice was in her nun clothes, praying or just walking around Cat's Cradle, her pace was always measured, hands clasped in the front and calmly by her side. When she was training - or in full combat mode as Ava saw just once and had not yet fully had time to think about how fucking impressive and mean kill machine her friend (friend? really? her mind stopped) - her entire demeanor changed. Strong, purposeful gait, strong voice, hands free and ready to punch or defend at any moment.
Ava refocused on her sisters outside. Both Beatrice and Lilith approached the door quietly, weapons drawn. There was no need for stealth - whoever was there was either on their side, or the enemy. No in between.
Suddenly the front door opened, a blast of light coming in from the inside. A black dog runs out, sniffling Lilith and Beatrice curiously, and then runs out to the car, tail wagging.
A figure follows the dog out - an older woman, white hair and strong features.
"Sister Beatrice" she bows. Beatrice bows slightly back, her fingers tightening on the knife in her hand. "I am sister Antonia, keeper of this house. You are all welcome." Sister Antonia lifts her eyes and looks at the car, then back to Beatrice and Lilith. "Mother Superion has informed me you are the new carrier of this location." She stops, and pain shows across her face. "It is a terrible day for our order, if you are here".
Beatrice nods, not want to say anything, not yet. Nevertheless...
"We need to rest, recover. We are all injured".
"Of course, of course." Their new host rushes to agree. "Please...." she turns and gestures at the house. "This house was built and kept for you, for all of you". She hesitates. "Is the halo bearer... Ava, is she here?"
At her words, Lilith reacts immediately, claws out and tightening around Antonia's neck. "How do you know her name?" she growls.
Sister Antonia remains calm, as only a true OCS nun probably would. "Mother Superion has informed me of the recent passing of Sister Shannon, and the new bearer. I have only received word of it two days ago, what has happened since?" She looks around again. "Is Mother Superion...?"
"We don't know" Beatrice answers. Her gut tells her to trust the woman. But her gut also told her to trust Father Vincent, so...
Sister Antonia puts her hand on Lilith palms, gently pushing it down. "Please sister. I am the custodian of this house, and your sister. You will not be harmed here".
For some reason beyond her comprehension, Beatrice decides to go with the very childish logic of Where's there's a friendly dog, there cannot be harm.
"Lilith, let her go." She says quietly, turning to the car and waving them all over. "Ava is in the car, she's fine. We don't know about Mother Superion, I hope she will come here as well. We have been betrayed by Father Vincent." Her voice starts quivering and she starts feeling her control slipping away. Just like those last kilometers in the marathon, she digs in dipper. "Sister, let's continue this talk inside."
Sister Antonia ushers them all in, bowing respectfully to all of them, curiously looking at Ava. She explains that she has not met a halo bearer in years, only focusing on keeping the house ready for whenever it would be needed for her.
The door closes behind them, and for Beatrice, this signals the end of the OCS chapter in their lives... temporarily at least.