The Hunter and The Thief

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste looked at the man in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be helping this orphanage, specifically the one she stayed in for a bit. Dante was far different than she had expected him to be. She expected him to just be funding some sort of selfish motive. Or be a dishonest man. If he had of been any of those things, perhaps she would have relinquished him of his life but seeing him sitting there smiling and playing with those children made her take back her initial thoughts of him. Perhaps he was an arrogant individual who broke the law, and if he were any other person she would have turned him in, but he seemed to have another side to himself. Seeing as they shared similar sentiments, she felt less inclined to turn him in. Listening to his words, she simply nodded her own head.


"I rest easy knowing that my work helps more futures survive." She said shortly. She was happy to know that many of he children here were still able to live life well after not being adopted. Celeste thought about her own adoption. Enoch Cain had been a shrewd man. He rarely spent time with her and always seemed to be having business meetings. One day, she had come home from school and all her things had been packed. He simply told her he would be sending her to a place better suiting her needs. He never visited her but once a year he would send her money and a letter saying little more than hello. Looking at the kids before her, she was happy that they were loved by someone. Something she herself had yet to experience. She mentally scoffed. She didn't have time for such thoughts. Her life was married to the Order. Destined to always live vicariously through others. "What you are doing is admirable, Dante."

 

[Questor]

He chuckled at her choice of words for what he was doing. Yes it was but he just felt it was the right thing to do. He managed to have the older children take Lisa up to bed and to head off to do other things before they went to bed. Once alone again he looked at Celeste. "Well I am glad you have no desire to turn me in to either the law or the Church. To them I am an abnormal and need to be put down." he could see her about to protest. "I have seen what other Church Hunters have done to abnormals and not just those that deserved it. I have seen them kill innocent abnormals that just wanted to be left alone and live as normal of a life as they could. Men, women and children. You seem different though. You seem to have a different look on what you do."


He looked at Martha and Joe. The nodded his head on what he said. A sadness filled their faces and a look of shame as well. "We did our share of that. Obeyed the orders of the Church, and their teachings. Anything not human was abnormals and were the work of the devil and needed to be destroyed. They are wrong?"


Dante put a hand on Martha's "The past is the past. Now is the present and what we do no is what is important." he then turned to Celeste. "You said you had another mission. Mind telling us what that is?" He had heard nothing of any trouble makers in the area or up and down the coast. Perhaps it was in another part of the country. It also had to be something tough, to send her out. Her reputation was known and she only seemed to be sent after the tough ones.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste bit her lip. Hatter told her to tell no one of her mission. in fact, he explicitly told her that it was top secret. Still, the people standing and sitting in front of her were ex hunters and a thief. She knew if anything she could tell them but should she? Debating the idea, she weighed out her options. On one hand it is possible that they could feed her information and form an alliance of sorts. On the other hand, she would be betraying the trust of her mentor. Looking up at their expectant eyes, she decided that it would be better to be honest. "I am not sure how you will take this but there is a new threat."


"Someone is leaking information about our organization, getting our hunters killed. But that's not even the half of the problem. The originals have arisen and are seeking out their children," she said with distaste. Celeste couldn't imagine what sort of creature Anubis was when she encountered him. She only hoped her power was enough to take him out or make it back alive. For the first time, the woman was actually a bit nervous about her own ability to defeat her enemy. "I won't give you the history less but these originals are said to be the fathers and mothers of all inhuman creatures. We can't organize because the traitor and we have bodies and no leads. They have abilities that aren't even fathomable for the average vampires or were. I was advised not to engage it but rather gather information." She sighed. It was all so frustrating knowing she had been fighting the small fries. She would definitely train hard, she clenched her fists. Damned abomination would not escape her if she had her way.


It was then that a thought struck a cord in her mind. Hadn't Hatter said that the name of the first normal child of Cain's was Enoch. Martha had just confirmed that name was indeed the same as her adopted father's. Looking to them, eyes wide in realization. "It would seem that our meeting is no longer a moot point. I wasn't sure where to start but you have reminded me of something important. According to lore, Enoch Cain was his first normal born child. It seems I should pay a visit to dear old dad." She said sarcastically. "Though I haven't heard from him in quite some time. I suppose a visit is long overdue." When was the last time she had seen the old man? "I don't mean to be rude," she said standing, "But it is a bit of a long trip from here to the manor. But you have my thanks." She extended her hand to them as a means of respect. Normally she would not have left so abruptly but time was of the essence in her mission and though she had yet to rest, she could not afford the luxury.

 

[Questor]

Dante, Mary, and Joe listened to Celeste talk. Originals? Their children? History lesson?" now that definately was perking Dante's intrest. "Oh no not just yet. " he said. "Give us the history lesson, I would like to know more about these originals and their children. They sound a bit more above what your normal vampire might be." Oh he was intrested. He had heard through his sources that the vampires had once been more powerful. Those of the day did not have the ability he had. He moved in the blink of an eye. She had said the orginals had abilities not fathomable. "You said they had abilities not like those of the vamps of today?" He stared down into his cup of coffee. One hand went down to his right side and moved over it. "Did they have the ability to move like I did on the roof top. Be in one place and then another in the blink of an eye?"


The vampire the hunters had been hunting that fateful day, he may have been more then just a normal vampire of the day. They had run the vamp throuhh with a spear and the spear with his blood had entered Dante's side. Dante thought he was going to die as he fell into the river and was taken down river by the current. He washed up on shore and his wound had healed and he was alive. He then learned later his abilities, that he later learned were part of being a vampire. But he was not a vampire, he had no fangs and no craving for blood and he was not bothered by the sun. He was faster and more agile then the vampires of the day and he could do the blinking thing. They could not do that. Now Celeste was saying that they had abilities that were vastly different then those of today. Could The vampire's blood he had got mixed with his own been one of those originals or one of their creations?


He wanted to hear more about these Originals. Who were they, and what was going on. Martha and Joe looked at her as well, and both of them looked a bit worried. More powerful vampires on the loose. That did not bode well. "You must take Dante with you on this then." Joe said. "As you probably know he is not what he looks to be. His abilities might come in handy and help you. Give you an edge." Martha nodded. "He is right. He can do some things the normal vamps can't."

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste reluctantly sat back down. She had already told them too much. Whether she gave them this information or not, they would find out eventually. "Its a bit of a lengthy explanation," she said looking at them. Sighing, She crossed her arms and legs, leaning back in her chair. "From what I was told, Cain's Mark is actually a reference to him being turned into a vampire. There were others like him that also have special abilities. They can do far more than the average vamp or were. You might know them as Egyptian gods, Ra, Set, Horus, Akasha and Anubis. All of their abilities are not known yet and to answer your question Dante, yes. What I was informed of is that they can move faster than a blink, walk during the day, change into animal form. Apparently Anubis made quick work of a group of hunters tracking him out in LA. Gruesome from what I heard." She said with a bit of disgust.


After rehashing what her mentor was saying, Celeste was growing steadily worried. She had confidence in her own abilities but this was no small task and even she was unsure if she could complete the task at hand without help. Glancing at Dante, the bluenette was unsure what to make of him. She wondered why he was so interested in this at all? His question had left her curious and baffled. "I might consider taking you with me but you can't travel with me as the Prince of Thieves," she said narrowing her eyes, "in fact no thievery at all. Also I would like to know why you are so interested in this. If we are going to embark on a dangerous mission, there can be no secrets between us. That could be the difference between life and death."


Celeste mentally sighed. She was taking a big risk by even entertaining the idea of having a partner. Many hunters formed groups or pairings with other hunters but she had never met one who could rival her own ability. Someone who was her equal. So like her mentor, she travelled alone. She quite liked travelling alone. It was good not having to worry about someone else during a mission. Her focus did not need to be divided so she could complete her mission without fail or delay. Thinking back to earlier that day, the two of them did take down the werewolf although without a doubt she could have taken it out alone. Still it might be nice to have someone watching her back.

 

[Questor]

Dante listened to her and raised a brow. Cain, the original Vampire. Now that was something interesting. One would not find that in the Bible or probably anywhere else. It seemed the Church had some dirty little secrets that they didn't want to share with the rest of the world. So Cain created others like him that eventually became the gods of Ancient Egypt. They evidently were not that now and it would be interesting to find out what happened that they were not the gods of Modern day Egypt. These Vampires were indeed powerful. Able to walk in the light of the sun was a big plus for them. They could blend in anywhere and be anyone and no one would be able to tell. That was an edge that had probably helped them survive over the centuries. Now changing into animal forms, that was something that he thought was pretty cool. But again it had probably saved them a number of times. Who would suspect that a vampire had turned into some animal. They probably walked right by the humans or at least at a distance from them and no one was the wiser.


He leaned back in his chair as she asked him why he was so interested in it all. "Well I think I may have run across one of them around a hundred years ago." he could almost hear her question or her surprise, "Yeah a hundred years ago and I haven't aged." he grinned. "Some people would kill to be able to do that. But that is getting off the subject. A hundred years ago, I was just a normal human minding my own business, but found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was night time and I was walking by the river, not one here but in the midwest. Suddenly there was five men with spears and guns attacking a lone man. But that man was no normal human or should say wasn't human. He fought back and dodged and eluded their spears and bullets didn't effect him. Finally one of the five men was able to run the one through with a spear. That spear tip impaled me as well. The blood from the one on the spear tip mingled with my blood. The only thing I can think of. Anyways. I fell into the river and was swept down the river with the current. Never knew if the Vampire died or got away. But from that day on my life changed. My wound healed by the time I woke up on the shore line. I began learning that my body had changed. I was stronger, much stronger then any man. My reflexes were quicker and I healed fast, or regenerated. As the years went on, I found I didn't age, and found that my agility was vastly improved. So I am interested in these so called originals. Why wasn't I turned into one of them? Was it something in that one's blood or something else."


He chuckled when she told him if he came along that there would be no stealing. "Well that all depends on what you call stealing." he said. "Now if we find these Originals or one of them. Taking something from them to help find the others would be considered stealing? he grinned. "Guess I will have to check with you first."


Joe got up and went somewhere. When he returned he had a duel shoulder holsters, with two Church Hunter Specials, a long leather coat and a Katana. "These were mine back in the day. I think they will fit you and this....." he drew the blade from it's wooden sheath, "Is one of the finest blades ever made. It was forged centuries ago in Japan and has silver inlaid in the folds of the blade so that the edge has silver running through it. Weres hate it, but it is sharp enough to take a mans head off, or a Vamp's." He handed them to Dante.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste listened to his skeptically. A hundred years and no aging? That certainly sounded like he was infected by some sort of creature but then why did he not take on any of the attributes of the creature, instead of only gaining its strengths. It was a curious situation indeed. Knowing that though left her weary. The mixing of blood shouldn't have changed him that drastically and yet here he was, sitting in front of her appearing as a normal man. It was a bit unsettling indeed. "You pose good questions, Dante. I wish I could answer them but perhaps we can both learn from this journey. The Order is in the dark as well. My information came from a different organization. The Observers. I hadn't heard of them before today but according to my mentor, they are even older than the Order. This mission isn't from the Order but from them." She sighed.


There were many unknowns and barely any leads. This sort of situation didn't bode well for her and the way she liked to work her cases. Normally, it was cut and dry. Celeste had no means of tracking the Original except that he was last scene in LA. That should be their next destination. She watched as Joe gifted him with gear and smirked. "With all of this, you might actually look worthy to be my partner." She approved of what he was gifted with. He would need these sorts of weapons if he were to stand up to the Originals out there or even in a large group of creatures that could potentially attack them. This reminded her that she herself was going to need more than her traditional crossbow and daggers.


Celeste had quite a few weapons to chose from in her own arsenal. She didn't like guns. She found that they took far less skill to wield than the weapons she chose and what she didn't have in speed she made up with her skill and meticulous aim. She had been known to strike down creatures from a distance without a scope. She refused to use a gun unless she absolutely had to and that is not to say she can't use one because they trained her to adept with most weapons. She mentally sighed. She knew this day would come but she hadn't thought it would come so soon. Right before her initiation, her mentor Hatter, had gifted her with a pair of revolvers. He knew her preference to be a crossbow but he also know that one day, her crossbow would be far too slow to take out certain enemies. She looked over at Dante. "I plan to leave at daybreak. I need to return home to prepare."

 

[Questor]

Dante looked at the guns and examined them. He knew how to use them but didn't really like to. Messy, loud, and one could not travel on planes with them, well normally. He knew Air Marshals, Feds and the like could carry theirs aboard commercial airlines. He wondered if the Church had arranged something like that for their hunters. The semi autos were light and had length to them. They had designs etched in the upper slide and the handle. Beautiful workmanship and they were balanced beautifully. He removed his coat and slid the shoulder holsters on. Each had two magazine holders attached that had magazines in them. One on each side was labled Vamp, the other two were labed Were. Made sense to have something like that. He put the coat on and it fit good and felt good. On the inside of the coat was a a few more magazines and wooden stakes and a few daggers. He looked at Joe raising a brow. "One never knows what they may encounter. It is always best to be prepared." he said and grinned.


Martha sighed and went out of the kitchen and returned with something of her own. This she gave to Celeste. "These were mine when I hunted. I see you do not carry guns." She chuckled. "Neither did I. They go about your wrist and lower arm. Compressed gas fires the wooden stakes." It looked like a soft leather gauntlet with several small wooden stakes slid into slots around them. "The movement of your arm and hand will fire them so be careful." she smiled. "Just point and shoot. They can be fired rapidly like a gun and will penatrate a vamps body and go to its heart." she also handed her a bandolier with a number of the small stakes slid into it. "May you have as good of luck with them as I did." she leaned in and whispered to her, "Take care of him and watch his back. I know you can do it. We want him back in one piece." She looked over at Dante. There was more then friendship in the way she looked at him.


"We will be back." Dante told Joe and Martha. "Tell the children I will have some things for them when I get back." He hugged both of them and then turned to Celeste. "Home eh. You mean the Cathedral?" he had a wary look on his face. "How are you going to get me in there with out raising suspicion?"

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste watched in shock as Martha handed her the gauntlets. She hadn't expected them to to be so kind to her especially after their initial meeting. She hesitantly took them from the woman. She hadn't actually considered using another type of weapon that could be as fast as a gun. It always seemed like a gun was her inevitable choice and yet this woman had presented her with something she found to be of better use of her abilities. She looked at Martha with a small smile. "Thank you." Martha's words caused her to quirk an eyebrow. She wasn't sure of Dante's relationship with either of them beyond a sponsor and friendship but something about the older woman's gaze had left her curious to say the least. She simply nodded in understanding. She didn't want to see him die while he was fighting on the side of her cause. She would ensure his safety.


She peered over at Dante and shook her head. "Live in the Cathedral? You must be joking. I like my privacy and that place is anything but quiet. I haven't lived there since I was a new recruit." She equipped her new gear. It was a nice fit almost as if it were made for her. Celeste began to wonder who these two two retired hunters were. Their gear was state of the art and they seemed to have barely lost touch with their own abilities as hunters. As they said in initiation, once a hunter always a hunter. That seemed to ring true with the couple before them. "I have a townhouse not far from here. That is where we will head." Looking to Joe and Martha, she nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality and for the gifts. Be well until our return."

 

[Questor]

The two stood at the front door and watched them walk out of the property that was the Orphanage's. Dante looked back and smiled. He had a feeling some of the children, the older ones were watching from the windows of the bedrooms of the second floor. They had no idea of what he was nor what profession Celeste was. They didn't know about the vamps and weres nor the other abnormals, like the majority of the people of the world. They were probably wondering what Dante was doing and where was he going with the strange woman that had come to the place. They knew he was always going from one place to another to do business. He turned back and walked beside her. "So are you going to go to you dear old adopted dad's place? See if he is there?"


He wondered about her adopted father. Especially the name that had been given. He knew that the name though not really common could have been given to the man that had adopted her. That it could have been a family name from who knows where. But something in the back of his mind told him that was not the case here. He had his suspicions and he had a feeling that Celeste had hers to about the man. It his suspicions were right, why would he have adopted her and then turned her over to the Church's Hunter program. It didn't make sense to him. It would have to be something that they would have to check out. She had mentioned something else. Another order, the Observers. One that was older then the Order of Hunters of the Church. "What is this Observer Order. Who are they and what do they have to do with all of this?"

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

In an unlikely series of event, Celeste and Dante had teamed up to search for the original. She hadn't expected that to even be an option. Earlier that day, she had come back from her mission and met a particularly skilled human. Who he was and why he was be I chased was objective and now she was travelling with the man. She glanced his way for a moment. Perhaps it was foolish to bring her back to her home but she could always kill him should he live up to his name. Prince of Thieves. "I am sure the old fart is in his home. Besides, it's been awhile since I received a letter. I should just make sure he's alive." It had been a long time since she had seen the old man. When he adopted her, she thought perhaps he would treat her kindly but instead he neglected her, only buying the things she needed. She often wondered why he chose her and what was the purpose if he hadn't planned to care for her. She mentally sighed. Celeste had many questions to ask the man but the first ones would be business only.


Upon his inquiry, she glanced at Dante. "This was my first time hearing of them as well. The observers. According to Hatter, they have observed and recorded the abnormals of the world. They are more secret than the Order from my understanding. They were the ones than leaked the information to the hunters. Namely Hatter. I don't believe they would have given out the information if they didn't think that these originals weren't a threat." She thought back to the words her mentor said. There was a traitor in the Order. They weren't helping the already bad situation and had cost many hunters their lives. "There are many unanswered questions surrounding this. It doesn't bode well for our travels." She turned the key to her townhouse and stepped inside.

 

[Questor]

Now these Observers sounded like an interesting group. They had tabs on abnormals all over the world? That was something he knew the Church would really love to get their hands on. But it seemed only this Hatter character and perhaps someone else that was his boss probably knew about them. He hoped that the Observer that contacted them had made sure he could not be traced. When she mentioned a tratior in the Church's Hunter Order he raised a brow. "Well now, I guess greed will find a place anywhere." Some one with the proper information, clearance level, and the like had to be placed high in the ranks. One like that in the pay of perhaps these originals might indeed be a problem. He followed her to the Townhouse and it looked to be a nice one. "Guess the Order pays well or they can afford to give their Hunters nice places."


He looked about the place seeing everything covered in white sheets and a thin layer of dust on everything. "Haven't been home in awhile I see. Guess they have been keeping you pretty busy. You do anything for down time, social life or the like?" he asked. By the looks of the place he had a feeling she didn't. "Well since you brought it up, I will handle the travel arrangements. That way no one will know that you are traveling or where."

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

She scoffed at his comment. "I did a mission over in Russia. The Belikovs. They were a nasty bunch. Picking off small villages two at a time. Changing some of them and draining the rest. When I brought them the head of the leader, I was gifted with dual citizenship and a good amount of money." She said shruggging. "The Order only assigns us missions. They get profit for sending us but ultimately I get paid by those who I help." Thinking back to that day, Celeste had learned much about her own ability and preferences in battle. It was a learning experience that was key in her development as a Hunter.


Upon hearing his question she laughed harshly. "As if I have the time or the luxury of a social life," she said shaking her head, "And anyway I don't tend to get along with others. I am sure you know that Hunters usually travel in pairs. Like my mentor I suppose." She mused. "But," she said slowly, "I suppose if I had the time to relax. Perhaps I would go to an opera. I find it...relaxing." Celeste was surprised by his inquiry. As she glanced around the room, she had suddenly realized how empty her home was. With all the sheets covering the furniture and her sporatic infrequent time spent her was a dead giveaway to her lack of a life. She always thought of herself as married to her work which is what makes her one of the best but she had vaguely wanted to try to relaxing.


"You will take care of the travel arrangements?" She said curiously. "And how do you plan to do that?" Typically, Celeste took her bike for short missions like visiting her adopted father. To travel otherwise, she dressed incognito and spent a little extra to travel privately. It wasn't the cheapest way but it was the easiest way to travel alone and inconspicuously. "As long as we don't have to fly." She hated airplanes. She hated the idea of not being able to escape in case of emergency. It was the only mode of transportation that she didn't have an escape route for. She was curious as to his method of transport.

 

[Questor]

"Afraid of flying?" he asked. "Now we will have to get you over that. Fastest way to travel especially if you have to cross the oceans. Don't get me wrong, taking a ship might be nice, if it is a luxuary liner or the like. But it is slow. So what is it about flying you don't like?" he asked. He took out a burn phone and dialed a number. "Yes I would like to have a limo at this address." he gave the address to her place. "Two to be picked up. Destination will be given to the driver." he hung up and then smashed the phone. "Don't like being traced." he grinned. He looked around some then and looked under some of the sheets at the furniture. She must have been paid well by the looks of things. But he was not a poor man himself. His jobs paid for the Orphanage, tuition of some of the kids and the like and he still had quite a bit of cash for himself, that he kept in a save in his own place, well places. He had a few places he had bought over the years. He had one in England, Southern Italy, one in California, one in New York and one in DC. He had paid cash for them all and therefore was no real paper trail.


"I am afraid if we are going to California we will have to fly there, if this is as important as you say it is. I know of a private jet rental firm. I use them when flying across country or internationally. I pay cash so there is no questions asked and they are very discrete." No one would know who they were or where they were coming from. All that the firm made sure was kept from any one, or altered so that it reflected they came from somewhere else. Others used the same firm, those that didn't want to be known.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste scoffed at him. "It's not a fear," she said irritably. She crossed her arms as if tense. She hated explaining herself to people. "I just don't like the idea of dying because of someone else's mistakes. In a train, I can jump out of, same with a car, and I always have a scuba suit when I travel by water. Even with a parachute, there is no guarantee that it will open. Then I would fall to my death with wasted efforts. There is only one death for me and that is in battle." Perhaps it seemed silly, but she felt like she had little else to offer this world. She had no qualms laying down her life every single day to ensure the future generations survived. They deserved to have a normal life and someone's got to do it. That aside, she couldn't imagine doing anything else. What were her interests before she was thrown into the hunter program? She mentally sighed. Those memories were long gone. Hearing him get the limo she quirked an eyebrow at him. "A limo is a bit conspicuous don't you think?" How was that going to help them stay under the radar?


Sighing, she peered at the bag she had from her last mission. Last mission, Celeste had gone to Mercer, a small city out west. It was the last city within a hundred miles that wasn't eaten by a rather gluttonous group of werewolves. They started by kidnapping the live stock then started picking off the farmers. They had wiped out four cities before she had arrived. It took longer to arrive than it did eradicate them. "Alright, I guess that is okay." She said begrudgingly. Damn she hated flying. She walked over to the hall closet and opened the door. Touching the side panel, all the cloaks were replaced by weapons. Several knives and daggers of all different sizes were displayed on either side. She also had a few different types of bows. At the bottom of the closet was a large box. The revolvers. Peering at her gift and her crossbow, she shook her head. They would continue to collect dust. She grabbed a curved dagger from the left side. It was a cutstom blade she had forged by the Order. Tempered silver in holy water, this blade was forged to fight either werewolves or vampires. She strapped it to her waist and picked up a black satchel from the corner before shutting the door.


She opened her old bag and pulled out a long dark brown wig. "My hair is rather distinct," she said while placing it on her head, "This wig draws less attention." Sifting through it, she needed nothing else from the bag and she tossed it aside her closet. "I'm all set."

 

[Questor]

No escape plan. He shook his head. Jump from a train or a car, now that would not always work out. It depended on the speed of the vehicle and where one would land. One could break a neck just as well as any other part of the body. Every thing had its danger when traveling, flying though he thought was the safest. There were no idiots up in the sky trying to get somewhere faster then you, cutting you off, or that drunk that decides he is going the right way down the wrong lane of traffic. Trains, they were fairly safe but slower, and of course ships well they were not bad but to damn slow, and hang it up if there was rough weather. No, for long distances he flew. He figured if it was his time to go there was nothing he was going to do to prevent it.


When she was ready, he followed her out to the street where the Limo was waiting. He let her give the address and the drive took off, "Well pulling up to a place that belongs to someone rich, in a limo is something that attracts less attention, especially in my line of work and probably in yours. People think that some other rich person is visiting. Now if we were going to the orphanage in a limo, that would not work. It would bring to much attention." he told her. The drive took a while, a couple hours at least and when they pulled up to the place, it looked as if it had not been lived in for some time. Though the property was well maintained, there were no cars, or nothing to indicate that the place had been lived in for awhile. The gate was open and as they pulled up a man came out of the house. He was dressed in clothing that told Dante that he was the caretaker of the place.


Dante got out of the limo and said, "We are here to see Mr Cain."


"Sorry sir, Mr Cain has not been living her for some time now. I think he left for Europe about five years ago and haven't heard from him since.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Had it been that long? Was her connection with her adopted father so little that he couldn't spare a fraction of time to write her a letter? She cursed her own carelessness. No. It wasn't about her at all. He was running from something. These Originals had existed for centuries. Why were they suddenly acting? There was more to this. Whatever it was, it needed to be stopped now. With new resolve, Celeste decided that if possible she would find out the truth and take this thing out before it was late.


"Let's go." She said with a sigh. "The old man doesn't want to be found." She shook her head. "I can sleep during the flight so I won't over think it." She wondered how her adopted father was connected to all this. She hadn't seen him but she had received yearly letters. With one last sigh, she relaxed regaining her composure. "I can sleep on the plane. Then I won't over think it." She hating flying. She turned her attention to the man next to her he is the Prince of Thieves. She wasn't sure if she could trust him but so far time would tell. Joe and Martha were nice enough to gift them with their old gear. Though she didn't remember much, she had a certain fondness of them. She just hoped he didn't betray her. She walked back towards the limo silently.

 

[Questor]

As she turned to get back in the Limo, the caretaker spoke again. "Is that you Miss Celeste? Wait your father left something for me to give to you when you came back here." He hurried back inside and brought out an envelope and handed it to her. "I am sorry your father is not here." he told her and then went back inside the Mansion again.


The letter was different then the others she had gotten. "Celeste you are now old enough and strong enough to be told many things. First of all you might be wondering why I sent you off to become a Church Hunter. The reason is that I knew the day would come when those more powerful then what the church had hunted would return. I needed you strong and capable of going after them and eliminating them. Now as to why I adopted you. Your mother had been experimented on by the Church's programs to enhance their hunter's strength, agility and stamina. They used the DNA of a vampire to try and change the DNA structure of her child, which was you. Your mother escaped and helped the vampire escape. That vampire, she means much to me. I found out to late about where she was. I found out who your mother was and found that you had been borned and placed in an orphanage after she had died. Your mother saved her and I in returned rescued you. I know I have not been the father that perhaps you think I should have been, but there are reasons which you will find out soon enough if you do not already suspect. When we meet again and we will, I will explain more." it was signed simply Father.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Celeste stopped in her tracks upon hearing the caretaker's words. What was his name again? Earl? No. She remembered now Charles. When Charles handed her the letter, she was a bit taken aback. She had assumed that the old man wanted to leave her out of everything. Or perhaps he hadn't spared a thought to write her. She looked at the letter warily. Opening it, she read the contents.


She clenched her fists, crushing the letter in the process. Well mystery solved but somehow it opened more questions. Why did he know this vampire and why had her mother been experimented on to create her. Did she perhaps have...special abilities as well? But didn't that make her an abnormal as well? Her father's words had left her with irritation. She was little more than a pawn in his plan and possibly a major player in the bigger picture. Why would he ally himself with a vampire? Why did he know what the orginals were when she had only learned of them today? Her head was swimming with ideas and she looked back at Dante. "It would seem that you and I are more alike than I thought."


She wasn't sure how to cope with the idea of not being fully human. Somewhere locked in her DNA, she was part vampire. The Order obviously knew nothing of this and she needed to hide this fact. That would explain why nothing changed except her eyes and hair. Why she was better than her comrades. She sighed. Celeste couldn't loose her sense of self right now. It didn't matter what she was. She was still Celeste. Still the Apparition. "I have more questions than answers now but now it seems more grave to go to LA before the trail runs cold."

 

[Questor]

Dante took the letter from her and read it himself. Then looked at her. "Well you are probably stronger and more agile then your brethern. How is your healing. Is it normal or do you heal a lot faster from cuts, wounds, broken bones?" He healed quite rapidly which was part of the regeneration thing he figured. Some how his body regenerated at the celluar level and kept him young as well as heal any wound or broken bone. Having been experimented on may have improved her, but for most if they had the blood of the vampire, they turned into one. Why he hadn't he was still trying to figure out. DNA was not just taken from blood, but from hair, skin, sweat and the like. It was something that Dante couldn't wrap his mind around, he just knew that there had been experiments with DNA that had proved to be astounding to the scientists of the world.


Dante already had his thoughts about her father. But he said nothing to her about them. Why would some one have an interest in a vampire that had escaped a Church Laboratory, and repay the one that set her free by adopting her child. Then send her off to be trained as a Hunter to be able to hunt the originals? Oh he had an idea why, just not the why to hunt the originals, when like she had said she had just found out about them, so how did he know of them? "Well we might find out some answers in California. I have a place there we can operate out of. He asked himself why was he helping her. Because Joe and Martha wanted him to. Why would they want him to help her. But he was, perhaps he was on to another path in life. Oh he would continue to steal from those that could afford it. Keep the Orphanage running for as long as he could. But perhaps it was time to change jobs so to speak. Oh he was not going to hunt those that wanted to live their lives in peace. Only those that stirred up trouble.


"This time Dante gave the driver the address. It was not the Airport, but a private one. He used it all the time and they asked no questions. Once there one could see a tight security even with armed guards patrolling in vehicles and on top of buildings. It was set outside the city limits and didn't have any houses or buisnesses about it. "Don't worry about the guards and such." he told her. "Various organizations use this air strip to fly places they don't want anyone knowing about."

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

Was she more agile and stronger than her brethren? When she had entered the Academy, she had tested higher than expected. In fact, she was already pairing for missions a full two years before her graduating class. Hatter never took students and yet she had become his only disciple. Through all his unorthodox training, Celeste had always wondered if anyone else could survive his training. Now she knew that perhaps it was more of her genes than pure talent. That irked her but she didn't let it show. "I do heal very quickly even for someone who was apart of the experiment. My bones rarely break. I have never stayed out of work for longer than a week for injuries." She said musing a bit. Celeste had done much to prevent herself from getting hurt. From traps in her room while she slept to not sleeping at all. In fact, it had been about three days since she last slept a full night's sleep.


Her thoughts travelled to her father. Who was he really? A female vampire he was involved with? And now her DNA was mixed inside of her? Maybe? The experiment wasn't completed so how would she know if not tested?She wouldn't utter a word of this to Hatter. He was far too loyal to trust with the knowledge of her possible heritage. He would shoot her dead never mind that she was his own disciple. He would simply say she had defected. Of course few people would believe him but her good name would be soiled with the title of Traitor. That was not a title she wished to die with and yet she knew that there was a possibility of that happening with new events. She sighed. Celeste believed in fighting for the peace of humanity. It didn't matter how she did it, she would continue to fight to protect people so they could live without fear of the night.


Noticing the guards outside, her eyes narrowed a bit. Discrete or not, she could not trust this set up. Dante must have noticed the weariness in her eyes because he told her not to worry. Normally she would trust herself but so far he had done little to raise her suspicions so she decided to wave off her uneasiness. "Alright, I will try to relax." She said slowly. Celeste took a deep breath. She hated air travel but she also knew it was necessary and this mission had somewhat become personal to her. Her father was a mystery and now talks of her mother raised many questions and though she was sure the answers were all as dismal as the situation, she wanted to know the truth.

 

[Questor]

The limo was passed through the gate and the driver took them to a large building and parked in front of it. Dante got out and a man in a suit with two guards approached. "Ah sir, do we have the pleasure of flying you some where again." Dante smiled and nodded. The man then saw Celeste in the Limo. "I take it then there will be two of you tonight." he nodded and motioned for the two of them to follow him. "Having flown with us a number of times you know the procedures." He lead them inside to what looked to be a check in counter. Here Dante produced some cash, well a large amount of cash and handed it to the woman behind the counter. The man next to him smiled broadly. "It is always a pleasure doing business with you sir." he said and departed.


The woman took the money, counted it and put it in a locked drawer. "What is the destination tonight sir?"


"Los Angeles." Dante said.


"Excellent. We have a flight on the tarmac ready to go there. There was a cancellation for the flight earlier. I beleive you know the way sir. I hope you and your friend have a pleasant flight. Tonights menue is roast beef, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Of course all alcoholic beverages are free to our customers if you like, or there is always other drinks on board at your request." she smiled at them and Dante nodded and took Celeste by the arm and lead her out to the slim private jet. Inside it was comfortable looking. No cramped seating. As soon as they were aboard the door was closed and the jet began moving. A stewardess had them sit and put their seat belts on before doing the same.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

She watched with skepticism as he paid for their flight. Carrying all that cash at once seemed like a deathwish but perhaps it came with the territory. She often kept cash on her when she went on scouting missions. Sometimes it paid to have money that is if she needed information. The hunter had her own sources she got her information from. Mostly from people who she had saved or helped in the past, she had a small group of acquaintances who networked for her. Still, it seemed that it was rather miniscule considering she knew little of anything that had happened today from the Originals to this overly demure airport. She cursed her own lack of knowledge as he led her down the path to the plane.


Celeste grimaced as they walked closer to the airplane. Private jet or not, she had very little trust in this piece of machinery. It was not a fear merely a preference and she preferred to keep her feet planted on the ground. She sighed as the woman offered them refreshments and food. As if she could actually keep anything down while she was in midair. Still maybe a drink would help her relax her nerves. As the stewardess showed them to their seats, she noticed how nice it was inside of the plane. Though she wasn't claustrophobic, it did not help that she was surrounded by hundreds of people. "Miss, I'd like scotch on the rocks. Make it a double." She had to do infiltration missions and found that she rather enjoyed scotch. She hoped it would take some of the edge off as the plane took off.


She crossed her arms and legs and closed her eyes as she waited for the stewardess to bring back her drink. Celeste tried to ignore the slight turbulence and the sensation of the air growing thinner. She had never been so excited to see a stewardess as she saw this one bringing her the drink. "Thank you." Turning her attention back to Dante, she swirled her drink before speaking. "Well, this is definitely a cut above any aircraft I have ever been on. But I still would rather not be travelling by air." She swivelled her drink once again before sitting back with a sigh. "So what are you plans when we arrive?"

 

[Questor]

He watched her as he buckled in and relaxed. She indeed was nervous and well he could not blame her. Flying was not for some people. But he enjoyed it and being on a small jet with just the two of them as passengers, well it kind of was nice. He could not stand the closeness of the big airlines. Being squeezed into small seats for the regular passengers and putting up with those in first class was a pain at times. He just liked flying in comfort and being able to relax the whole way. Once they were in the air the stewardess brought drinks and he sipped his as he just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Then Celeste asked what his plans were for when they got to Los Angles. "Well first thing is getting to my place there. It is out in the suburbs. A nice large house with a wall about it to keep out strangers and stray dogs. There I will get a change of clothing and call a few people I know about the city. In my line of work you get to know a lot of people and there are those that owe me favors. I will have them check and see if any strange things have been going on. Well strange and weird things. Some of these people have their fingers on the pulse of the city." Well what she would not know unless absolutely necessary was that a few of these people were abnormals. One was a vampire and the other a changeling. Those two would know for sure if some powerful vamp had come to the city.


"So relax, at lest try to relax. These people know what they are doing and take care of their planes." he told her. A while later their meal was served and he dug into it with a gusto and had another drink to go along with it. "Always the best, for their passangers love to be catered to. He listened to music and dozed here and there on the flight. After hours of being in the air they finally landed at another private air strip in the country and waiting for them was a car that Dante would be driving. "See now that was not to bad now was it? he asked her.

 

[YoshiAnkoTay]

She finished her drink as he spoke about his plans. What was she supposed to do until then? If he planned to go about with his connections he would undoubtedly go meet alone. Still, she had her own business to attend to. She couldn't go to the headquarters in LA because she didn't wanted to stay out of sight. She would just have to do this the old fashioned way. Celeste hated foot work but if she was going to learn about what happened to her comrades, she would have to tough through it. It's like Hatter, did all this on purpose. This trip was beginning to compile of things she hated doing. As the food was brought out, she started eating not realizing how hungry she was. She got another drink and finally, she was beginning to grow tired. Shifting in her seat, she fell into an uneasy sleep.


As Dante escorted her off the plane, she felt so relieved to be on the ground once more. "It wasn't but I am very glad to be on the ground again." Celeste looked at the car, he was approaching and sighed. Now a car ride after a plane ride. This was beginning to be exhausting and they hadn't done anything bus travel. "I hope you are a good driver." She said crossing her arms. She had never missed her bike so much in her life.