For the first time she can remember, the short, stocky human known as Sister Rebecca feels nervous before a mission. It's not the fact that she's facing an enemy she's not suited for or prepared against.
The lord has given me strength to stand against the wicked in all its forms. It's not that this is the first time she's ever had to keep anyone else safe while on a mission either. She'd been trained for this sort of thing, but as of yet, had not been assigned to perform such a task. She wasn't sure whether that fact had been due to her exceptional skill as a demon hunter or to the jealousy and disdain Marcus felt for her. She always suspected that he only gave her the most dangerous missions in hopes that she would be killed or maimed in some way, but so far, she'd always come back with all her limbs intact; a fact that had always seemed to irk him. No, she had actually felt pretty good about this assignment until just a few hours ago.
"Be certain that no harm befalls the lost brothers on their hunt," he'd said to her during their VR meet early this morning. After that conversation, she'd taken a taxicab straight to the airport and gotten on a plane for Seattle. When a nice towncar came to pick her up from the airport, she'd wondered what sort of "lost brothers" she was dealing with anyway. Marcus had always been stingy with actual explanations for things, so she wasn't terribly surprised to find that they were just a pair of bounty hunters. The leader, an elf named Stake was the single most augmented living thing she'd ever seen. She remembers estimating that he was probably faster than some demons she'd faced. Like most elves she'd met, he had no strong opinion either way on religion, standing in stark contrast to the other member of the team, a human and recent convert named Achak. He was a big guy, with rather attractive and chiseled native american features. So, technically yes, they
are lost brothers, just not in the shaved-headed-monestary sort of way Marcus had hinted at.
The good lord has seen fit to test me with lesser adversities so that I might overcome the great ones.After being briefed on the mission specifics back at the groups staging area and informed just how many spirit services would be required, Sister Rebecca balked. She'd need more holy water than she typically carried with her. Luckily, it would be easy to get. After a call, Marcus had put her in touch with a church nearby that could part with some, but for an increased price. The driver Stake had hired for the run tonight gave her a ride to the church where she'd slotted all but her last 10¥ on their credstick with a smile and a
"God bless you." in exchange for two mid-sized vials of holy water.
These, plus what I brought with me, ought to be enough. Once back at the staging area, she had excused herself to a private area to summon and bind an Angel of Fire to her for the evening. This is where things started to go bad for her.
The summoning went without a hitch. In short order, a magnificent humanoid wreathed in blue flame and with eyes of thunder hovered in the air before her.
"Great Gadreel, singer in the heavenly choir and supporter of all good works!" She spoke to him with her astral voice.
"I offer you this holy water in exchange for extensive services this evening, for the minions of Lucifer have dug a deep nest for themselves and the faithful shall need the vigilant light of the Lord if they are to cleanse it in his glorious name." Gadreel gives her a benevolent smile for just a moment before a wave of force erupts from the bottles of holy water, shattering them and sending shards of glass flying in all directions. Rebecca had reacted quickly, covering her face with her hands so as to avoid any serious dmg, but her jacket was a little scruffy looking and her hands were simply covered in blood and small shallow cuts. As she realized what had happened, she started to become upset.
Fake holy water? How could Marcus DO that to me? Before her depression can grow any further, Gadreel extends one of his flame wreathed hands down to her, helping her up as she takes it in hers.
"Fear not, faithful one," he says to her in a regretful tone.
"You were not deceived. The water was not counterfeit; it had merely been improperly stored. That poor impoverished church simply lacks the resources to do so correctly. Perhaps your contribution tonight may help them remedy that. Nevertheless, I shall be with you until the morning, but there shall be no extensive services. Now, go and rest, for tonight shall tax us both." She'd only had time for one hour of sleep before Stake said they needed to move, so she reclined on an easy chair near a trid projected pool table and was granted one of the most restful single hours of sleep she'd ever had in her life. Not only did she awake fresh and ready to go, feeling at 100% capacity, but she found that the cuts on her hands had been healed as well. She suspected Gadreel but didn't ask.
Five minutes later, she's fully strapped up and buckled into the backseat of 3L1's bulldog next to a pile of heavily armed drones. She's conscious to keep her limbs away from them, just in case they need to launch quickly or something like that. Without a lot of experience with drones, Sister Rebecca isn't quite sure what to expect from them.
Better safe than sorry. She keeps both hands on her sheathed sword in front of her, point on the floor or the van and listens as Stake runs down the plan one last time for them. After that, there's a little bit of chatter amongst the team as they tear through the sprawl toward their destination, but she keeps quiet, trying to absorb as much as she can before the time of reckoning is at hand.
"If there's one thing to remember, don't flinch when they attack. Achak is right, they may look like normal people, but they aren't. We'll be sticking together for the most part, but just keep that in mind; it might save your life."
She puts her helmet on over her short blonde hair, fires up the trodes in her armorjacket, and turns on all of her wireless gear. She makes eye contact with each member of the team, an expression of calm set on her prominent jawed face.