Bats in the Belfry PT.2 [Nighttime]

Maria was feeling some pain here and there from the early afternoon's work hunting down a supposed heretic. It wasn't like she was all bruised up. But, she wasn't in a horrible condition either. If anything, it was like a warm-up for what's going to come next. The Cadet finally arrived on foot with the coffin in tow as usual.

Strangely, it looked like no one was here, especially the Princess. Perhaps it would just need some time. That was quite an issue, considering Julius and Alex were waiting. But, what else could she do? It wasn't like she could try to penetrate through that barrier. Andraste alone didn't have that kind of firepower. So she waited, instead.

But it didn't mean Maria could idle as she did. Given her own equipment, she had a bit to prepare before they could go in even if it wouldn't take that long.

Current Team:

Cecilia was feeling conflicted. On one hand, she was ecstatic to be on what was her first assignment (if not in technicality then in spirit). Eager could not begin to describe the joy and anticipation that coursed through her at the thought of serving her queen and goddess, not to mention the city and people that she reigned over and protected. On the other, however, the situation she had found herself assigned to wasn't anything to smile about it. While she hadn't seen what was going on with her own two eyes, she had naturally read up on the case file that had been offered to her and consulted Maria briefly about what she had seen, and... Well, to put it bluntly, it sounded like quite the shitshow. The prince being trapped inside a building full of terrorists and demons wasn't exactly a pleasant thought. That wasn't to imply that she lacked confidence in his abilities though; she was certain he'd be more than capable of handling whatever they tossed at him. Still, it never hurt to have back-up, hence why she and the rest of the team were here in the first place presumably.


If the footsteps hadn't been enough of a clue that someone was approaching then the voice would. Cecilia would quickly rush up to the nun's side and take a place a few inches behind her. Offering a toothy, arrogant grin, the girl would spin around with a flourish to demonstrate her attire for the night. Although perhaps it was best described not as an outfit...


...but instead as armor. It wasn't anything too bulky, of course, since that would hinder movement, but it was clearly designed to offer some protection, even if its main strength lied in its aesthetic and the image it gave off. "The Helper Sorority had it on hand! They've apparently been waiting a long while for one of their members to become a Cadet. I feel so honored to be the first!" The courageously carefree tone in her voice was infectious, as was her behavior in general. It could almost be considered an inspirational sight. With a friendly wink, Maria would find herself the target of a wave of bravery, though whether the tides would reach her was unclear.

Courage Boost!:

Regardless of what happened, however, Cecilia would swiftly move onto the business at hand. There was little time to spend showing off and she didn't need to in the first place; she was sure her capabilities would be proven by her performance during the mission. So, taking on a slightly more professional expression and demeanor, the girl would turn her gaze to the blue-hued barrier in front of them and study it closely. "I take it we're waiting on the others. What's the current situation? Any developments or...?"

According to the message Athena had received Maria and a new member of the cadets would be venturing along with her to rescue prince Julius. Athena would have done her best to avoid this twisted "damsel in distress scenario" if she could but considering the importance of Julius getting on his good side was vital for her rise. Therefore the young model gathered her courage and went forth o meet the party at Little Tokyo. However, instead of finding Maria along with a dashing new cadet she found the nun hanging out with the weird pink hair gremlin she had met yesterday, she was even clad in some sort of armor Did she think this was a cosplay contest or something?" Athena said to herself as she adjusted her heart shaped tiara and removed a leaf that had stuck on her pink frilled dress "How can someone be so unprofessional?" . It was too late for her to back down she approached the other two women trying to act as casual as possible.


"Oh my!" She exclaimed as if she had just noticed them "Looks like someone has been working hard... a bit too hard perhaps." She made sure to maintain a smile as she walked even closer to Cecilia "What I'm just teasing you. Oh I'm so proud of you... and thankful for what you've done for me that day." Athena would reach to hug the girl, should she succeed she'd whisper to her ear. "Speak about what happened when we met and I'll fry you alive." She would then release the girl from her grasp and turn her attention to Maria. "Let's proceed. Saving the people inside is our top priority but we need to make sure the terrorist responsible for this is arrested... though I doubt anyone would complain if they don't walk out alive."

Maria had been closing her eyes, trying to even her breathing and steeling her emotions. Sister Louise and Father Jorge had been equally strict on mental preparations. An Executor was a human weapon meant to combat the supernatural under the name of God. To falter meant death and with it, came failure. The Cadet wasn't any different when it came to this. Being one didn't seem all too different, but there was a more moral element to it or at least that's what she felt about it. It was more... 'warm'. There was emotion, where the Church had lacked. A kind of closeness. It was a wonder if she truly fit in with them.


There were familiar faces popping up as one eye popped out to see them approach. Maria stoically nodded as acknowledgement at the pink-headed recruit that she had helped in her awakening. But her outfit was... rather flamboyant. It was almost as if mocking the serious nature of the task this evening. There was little doubt that Sister Louise would be berating her with the usual severe tongue-lashings and raps to the head with the katana sheathe, but thankfully for Cecilia, she wasn't here. The same could really be said for Athena as well. What's with them? Couldn't they at least try to dress appropriately in combat ready gear?

But she wasn't in the mood to start any fights over it. There was bigger fish to fry, to say. "Her Highness, Serenity Lamecia will be linking up with us to break open the barrier. Until then, wait."

Since there was still that barrier, there's no way they could get inside. Maria had doubted any of them had firepower to get through and even more so if they bothered to work together. Waiting for the Princess was vital. And speak of the Devil, the sound of the engine purring could be heard for her. Turning to the Lamecia's direction, Maria respectfully bowed down her head and then looked up to notice... an odd smile.

Was she displeased by last night's events? Not that the Cadet could blame her. It was a terrible debilitating weakness, a side-effect that could drastically impact the mission's success. Had it been any other leader in charge, it wouldn't be surprising if she were kicked out. But the fact that Serenity didn't voice otherwise, it was a gift to keep in mind, to continue proving herself in her service to the government and the Queen. Failure must not be tolerated. "We hear and obey, your Majesty."

That was all that was required of her from the Church's teachings and the demands of being a Cadet, follow orders and executing them.


She remembered hearing from Hatsuharu about Claire's apparent stroke of madness back in the events of the Alice Dungeon when she was gone for the Dragon Spas. Maria was starting to feel remarkably suspicious ever since the events from last night. To her, this was all set up somehow. It was all too convenient to have a stronghold of a District Leader to be rendered in such a state. And there seemed to be a connection with Claire going mad and the growing infection in the Spas. All it boiled down to it was either Seras or Alex being connected to what's actually happening behind the scenes. Perhaps, they would find out soon.

"What is Lisa's current status?" But of course, there was Lisa. She had wondered if the younger Princess was alright after hearing the shitstorm from Hatsuharu and Shiina, being rather concerned about her even if they only met once.

Cecilia would nod at Maria's instruction and fall into silence as she awaited the arrival of the others. It wouldn't take too long, however, and soon enough their comrades for the night would make their entrance. The first one was a familiar face -- it was Athena, the poor, bullied girl who she had met at Seven Stars. To see that she made it into the Cadets brought a smile to Cecilia's face, although internally it made her fume with anger. Not at Athena, of course, but at whoever it was that was harassing her. It was bad enough to target someone in a vulnerable position, but to do it to someone who was also risking their life so that you could continue to live in safety? People had no shame nowadays, no respect, no gratitude...

Without hesitation, she'd accept Athena's hug and pat her on the back, though the words that the girl whispered into her ear made her eyebrow instinctively raise. What was with that harsh and confident tone? And why'd she feel like she needed to ask in that manner in the first place? Whatever the case, Cecilia wouldn't dwell on it for long. There was no point in looking too deep into it and she wasn't about to try to interrogate her about it, especially when they had a mission to focus on. "My lips are sealed, no worries." She'd whisper back following it up with an understanding nod.

A light frown would appear on her face at Athena's implied suggestion. Kill the terrorist? It wasn't like they necessarily deserved to live considering their actions, but... "I think we should try to bring them in alive if possible. We still don't know who's behind this or what sort of mad nonsense motivated them to do it, do we? So at the very least it might be worthwhile to question them." Of course, Athena was right about one thing: their top priority was saving those trapped inside. If taking the terrorist into custody was incompatible with that then they'd have no choice but to... eliminate the suspect.

The sound of a roaring engine drew Cecilia's attention and the pink-haired girl would swiftly turn to face the disembarked Serenity. Once again it felt odd being in the presence of royalty, almost sinful in a sense, as though she didn't deserve to stand beside the princess. Getting to meet members of the royal family should have excited her, but it only brought forth an odd swirl of emotions with guilt residing first and foremost among them. The arrogant and toothy grin faded from her face as the pink-haired girl took on a more humble and solemn expression that better fit the occasion. And when the order was issued, she'd of course comply. She had her duties as a Cadet and she was certainly aware of them.


It was a simple confirmation. For the moment, at least, there was no need for anything more. She had nothing to ask about that immediately came to mind, so she'd let Maria and Athena handle that, instead opting to listen intently to the questions posed and the answers offered to them.

Relevant(?) Strengths/Weaknesses:

Athena didn't reply to Cecilia, however the little midget made some sense, by capturing the terrorist behind this attack the cadets could gain vital information about their operations. Still the way Cecilia spoke revealed Athena the innocence of the girl, just by meeting Queen's bodyguard Athena knew she would rather die than facing her ire and if the terrorist knew about that they would take their own lives instead of surrendering. Thankfully the model didn't have to remain quiet for too long as princess Lissa arrived shortly after ridding her motorcycle. At least she looked more competent than her younger sister, a fact that made the noble even more unapproachable.

"Greetings ,your majesty" Athena said as she curtsy to the woman. Surely a person of her class would appreciate working with someone familiar with the proper etiquette. "We're ready to follow your orders to the letter. You can count on us to rescue your brother"

Nebula ran and ran, the lack of her sketchbook in her arms taking a slight toll on her courage. It would be unacceptable for her to be late te her very own first assignment as a cadet, she thought, even if she was dispatched at the last minute. Her leather boots thumped soundly yet softly against the pavement for a few minutes, until the location she was described appeared in her sight. She reached the location where the other cadets met up, her breath harsh and accelerated. Immediately upon recognizing one of the women as Serenity Lamecia, however, she would rectify her posture and breath and give a polite salute.


Well, that and she had already gone to sleep when she was contacted. At that point, Nebula would also notice the three other cadets present at the scene. She gave a polite nod of the head to all of them, as a way of saying "I'd like to say hello, but right now I'm more concerned with wether or not Serenity's going to be pissed at me, so I'm going to focus on that first."

The whole thing about Claire was to be covered up? Sounds fair enough. Seeing how she was quite the Cadet and how panic must be contained, it was understandable. Lisa was injured, but fine at least. It was a shame she had to sit out. Though that last remark, if Maria had any in her to make an expression, she would have raised an eyebrow. But, she remained as stoic as ever. Especially when this newcomer came in. Maria didn't exactly know who she was, but extra hands were indeed helpful.

When the barrier shattered, the familiar feeling of dread began to creep up in her stomach. The audible noise of mechanism shifting could be heard as Maria cocked back Andraste. She eyed at a group of enemies far up ahead. Looking back to the rest of the other Cadets, she ordered them.

Movement:

Stats, Level 6 and Rank 3:

Question for Philemon:

W-Wait, what? They were starting already? Nebula hastily summoned her executioner's axe and followed the woman with blue hair. Just follow orders, defend yourself and others, and everything should be fine.

"Such vigor!" Athena exclaimed as she followed the nun. Athena had a feeling that Maria would eventually rise high in the hierarchy, and through her Athena could ensure her own advancement, therefore it would be better to stay on her good side. Cecilia and the other girl could follow if they wished but she would make sure to kick their asses if they tried to steal her spotlight. "With our powers combined this battle will end swiftly." With a smile on her face Athena summoned her persona and rushed to join the fight standing behind the two women. She couldn't rise if she was dead after all.

Action:

It seemed they'd have one extra Cadet joining them on the mission. Cecilia would offer a small smile to Nebula and return the nod, but she wouldn't bother saying anything and would instead focus on Serenity and Maria. The names exchanged were unfamiliar -- whoever Sera and Claire were, the girl hadn't heard of them before, or at the very least she couldn't immediately recall them. Regardless, it didn't matter. If the information was confidential then there was no use dwelling on it; the government knew best and she was here to serve it as best as she could. Focusing herself on the mission at hand, she'd watch as the princess shattered the barrier and would quickly follow her comrades into the distorted inn towards the group of enemies ahead of them.

Action: