Allison’s form shimmered into existence in one of the many back service tunnels under New Amazon.  She was wearing civilian clothes.  Most notably a black hoodie with a deep hood that concealed her identity.  She checked her AR HUD and verified she appeared where she had meant too.  Apparently, the orbital defense shields used to protect the domes were not able to stop matter transportation beams.  That would be a problem if the technology ever got out of System’s Alliance hands.  She was supposed to be attending a family gathering to welcome the twins and their parents back to Earth, an engagement she skipped because she didn’t trust she could conceal the presence of Lucifer from her keen-eyed sister, Aunt and surrogate mother.  Especially the latter.  Isis could read minds and while Allison could shield her thoughts now, she could not shield Lucifer’s.


    She tapped in her required destination and the fastest route was overlaid on her AR HUD as her scanner determined building and life signs density.  She started walking with her hands in her pockets.  She had left her armor behind and turned off all tracking for her devices.  As one of the rare few citizens of the System’s Alliance without a permanent Ident chit she was literally untraceable now.  The underground, as these tunnels were called, was the place the dregs lived.  They were either born into it, fled the dome because they were wanted fugitives, or wanted to live free of System’s Alliance oversight.  Allison had never been down here before and she was only vaguely aware of them before her attempts to find Archbishop Quinton failed when she’d realized the church System’s Alliance had him at was abandoned.  Her investigation led her down here.


    She came out of the tunnel and realized the real Underground was actually a bason that seemed to be beneath the fusion reactor heat exchangers.  It was warm here.  The buildings were made of cast offs from the dome.  Rusty metal sheets, tires, anything and everything that could be used for shelter.  She detected the unmistakable scent of human filth.  Lucifer was wrinkling his nose and complaining.  She ignored him.  She went down the makeshift stairs and followed her AR HUD’s directions to where she hoped she could find the Archbishop.


    She felt someone grab one of her arms.  He spoke with a mocking tone.


    “Look what we have here, a fresh upworlder.  I’ll feed you something.”


    He was a man with tattoo’s on his face and armor made from salvaged robot parts.  He had chrome but it was old and definitely black market.  She grabbed his wrist and slammed it downwards then slammed him to the ground.  She pressed her knee into his back and held her vibroknife to his neck then released his arm and pressed her free hand against the back of his head.


    “Your shitty dermal armor will not stop this from slicing your head off.  I’ll forget you touched me, just tell me where Archbishop Quinton is.”


    He pointed at a building a few ‘blocks’ towards the center of the settlement.  She released him and sheathed her knife.  He scooted back from her and caught only a glimpse of her golden eyes and fangs.  He held up his hands.


    “Sorry… didn’t know you were a Bloodbanger.  I’ll tell my boys to steer clear.  Just don’t tell Hugo, please.”


    Allison walked towards her target.  She found the ‘church’ it was in four of the original containers that dome parts would have been shipped in.  In the twentieth century they would have been called sea-cans.  The door was locked.  Allison frowned and prepared to wait.  She was there for an hour and a half before someone showed up.  Unfortunately, the someone was not the Archbishop.  It was eight vampires and two humans.  Allison didn’t stand she just tapped something on her AR HUD.  The vampires were better dressed than the other locals.  One was even wearing a suit.  He looked to a much larger vampire to his right.


    “Do you believe the balls on this bloodsucker?  Comes down to my territory, doesn’t so much as say hello, then has the audacity to sit down in the one place where we vamps aren’t allowed.  So, tell me who the fuck do you think you are?”


    Allison didn’t lower her hood, she just looked towards the leader of the gang.


    “Be somewhere else.”


    His fangs came out.


    “The fuck you say?”


    Allison continued sitting on the step.


    “There are two types of vampires that would come down here, see eight other vampires who are looking for a fight and not beg for your forgiveness.  One is a Reaper who isn’t here for you but is hoping you give them an excuse to execute all of you, or an ancient who is attending to business and doesn’t want to be bothered.  Either way, you’re in over your heads.”


    The large vampire who seemed to be the enforcer for this vampire gang looked at the person doing the speaking.


    “Hugo, this ain’t worth the trouble.”


    A brown cloaked figure came around the corner.  He was using a long pipe as a walking stick, which he held with a black gloved hand.  He wasn’t large.  In fact, by his appearance he looked pretty non-threatening.  He spoke and his voice was soft.


    “Hugo, you wouldn’t be considering violating the sanctity of this hollowed ground would you?”


    Hugo and the other vampires immediately took a step back.


    “No, Archbishop, just trying to remove this lick from your hair.”


    The Archbishop’s head shifted under his hood to look towards Allison.


    “If this lost child seeks the Lord’s succor, then she shall have it.  The sanctuary of this church is available to all who come with peace in their hearts.  Do you have peace in your heart, child?”


    Allison stood up.


    “I’m here looking for your help Archbishop.”


    He looked towards Hugo.


    “I suggest you leave.  I have made it clear you and yours are unwelcome here.  You know the consequences of a violation of this sacred space.”


    Hugo looked angry and motioned towards Allison.


    “She’s a vampire too.”


    Archbishop Quinton stepped closer to Hugo.  Hugo stepped back.  The Archbishop spoke.


    “I have never said vampires are not welcome in this house of the Lord.  I have said your vampires are not.  Leave, I will not ask you again.”


    The gang enforcer tugged on Hugo’s arm.


    “Let’s go Boss.”


    Hugo pointed at Allison.


    “The minute you leave the church we’re going to stake your ass and teach you a lesson about respecting another vampire’s territory.”


    Allison looked at him from under her hood as she tapped a button on her AR HUD.


    “I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again, Hugo.  You were warned.”


    The Archbishop walked past Allison and unlocked the door, he motioned for her to enter.  As they entered Allison unzipped her Hoodie.  The Archbishop pulled down his hood.  He had long silver hair, his eyes were obviously cybernetic and he had the tell-tale lines indicating his face was also cybernetic.  His eyes focused on Allison’s dark mother pendant.


    “Ah, it seems it is my time then.  You have finally tracked me down.”


    Allison was confused.


    “Time?  What are you talking about?”


    He bowed his head slightly.


    “You are one of the Sister’s Militant, here to end me for the part I played in the civil war that ended so many of your sister’s lives.  I understand.”


    “Archbishop, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


    Allison pulled her hood down, his eyes flashed with recognition.


    “I need your help with a spiritual problem.  I don’t know how this thing works but I need confession… or whatever it’s called.”


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    She looked at Lucifer, who was looking skeptical as he stood behind the Archbishop.  The Archbishop looked Allison up and down.


    “If you do not believe in Christ then I am not sure what confession will do for you.”


    Allison frowned.


    “Of course I believe in him.  He’s my second cousin.  The Church of the Dark Mother acknowledges the existence of the trinity, and this isn’t about…”


    Allison let out a slow breath to try and calm herself down.


    “This isn’t about my beliefs.  Look, Archbishop Quinton.  How about I tell you a story and you can tell me whether God will forgive… my friend.”


    Archbishop Quinton looked Allison up and down.


    “Yes, but first, I have a few questions, starting with how did you find me?”


    Allison looked around the ‘church’.


    “It wasn’t difficult.  I have access to all data the System’s Alliance Military has; You’re on the Christian watchlist.  They’ve known where you are for the last five years.  Once I realized you’d moved I asked around they directed me down here and then some gangbanger tried to attack me and once I convinced him that was a mistake, he told me exactly where you were.”


    He leaned his walking stick on a wall and folded his hands.


    “Surely, the Church of the Dark Mother could have answered your questions, and granted the forgiveness you seek, you are her daughter after all, why did you come to me?”


    Allison glanced at Lucifer.


    “Because my ‘friend’ doesn’t believe in the Dark Mother… or rather hates her.  He wanted a Catholic priest, so here we are.  Look if you’re not interested, I have a few more options.”


    He motioned to the makeshift pews near the altar.


    “Let’s sit.”


    Allison followed him and sat down beside him.  The archbishop smiled.


    “Alright, child, tell me of this friend and his sins.”


    Allison rubbed her face.


    “Look, what I’m about to tell you is going to sound… odd, but I want you to know, I did not come all this way and track you down so I could mock your beliefs.  I respect the sanctity of everyone’s beliefs.”


    She sighed.


    “So, my friend, okay first off he is not my friend, he’s an arrogant… he was given a task by his father, but he ignored it and then he convinced his brothers and sisters to ignore their tasks… then he thought he knew better than his father, so he tried to kill his father and take over.  He pitted his family against each other…  he was jealous of his father’s other… younger children who his father loved more than him…”


    Archbishop Quinton held up his hands.


    “Slow down.  Why can your friend not come and confess for himself?”


    Allison muttered something under her breath.  The archbishop gave a small frown.


    “Child, speak up, please.”


    Allison groaned.


    “Because I killed him and destroyed his body when I blew up his ship.  He’s haunting me.  He won’t shut up and he says the only way he’ll move on is if he can get forgiveness from… his father.”


    Archbishop Quinton looked quite confused now.  Allison glared at Lucifer who was shouting at her to just tell the archbishop the truth.  She held up her hands.


    “Fine, sorry he’s demanding I just tell you the truth, look archbishop.  Vampires can drain people’s souls if they drink past death… that’s what I did.  So basically, he’s part of me and I have to keep fighting him until I finally destroy what is left of who he was so I can get rid of him… I ate Lucifer’s soul and I’m winning the contest, but he swore he’d give up if God would forgive him.  Since I’m not exactly sure how to talk to God, that was my biological mother’s thing, you’re what we have.  So, how does he get forgiveness so he can get lost?  Like ten Hail Mary’s and off he goes?”


    The archbishop leaned back on the makeshift pew and looked at Allison, really looked at her.  He pulled a worn white bible from his bag and opened it.  Allison watched him.  He leafed through the pages.  It was worn from being read so much.  It had notes written in the margines; Passages underlined.  The notes were made with a ballpoint pen something that didn’t really exist anymore.  He found the page he was looking for.  His eyes looked over a note.  Allison’s contacts let her focus on it and her AR HUD brought up the Latin, her translation matrix provided the Alliance Basic.  And hell would be brought to Earth in the land of the Riech.  Divine retribution will rain from the sky; Lucifer and his army will burn.  He will linger on suffering in pain and madness until the Daughter of the Universe grants him the mercy of oblivion.  Only then shall he understand the depth of his crimes and seek forgiveness.  Then he will come, broken and groveling, to the last cathedral, then the last pope will hear his confession, then he will be no more.  Allison’s eyes went wide.  The archbishop patted the bible.


    “I have read this book many times.  It belonged to your mother, you see.  It was passed down to me from the last Pope.  He told me to protect it with my life.  The last remaining undoctored version of the word of the Lord.  In this book I have found notes, underlined passages.  Some strange writings added by your mother.  One which is here on this page speaks of a time when the Lightbringer will finally seek forgiveness.  I know every passage and every note in this bible.  I understand now.  These were prophecies.  Child, can he speak through your mouth directly?  Would you do this for him?”


    Allison frowned and pondered if giving Lucifer control would be a bad idea or not.  Finally, she decided to let the Devil have his day.  She listened as Lucifer recounted the War of Heaven.  Where brother slew brother.  Many times, Lucifer cried tears from Allison’s eyes.  She rolled her eyes at his claims he was controlled.  She was an outside observer watching her own body recount the story.  She threw up her hands.


    “Give it a rest, part of you wanted it.  You need to admit that to yourself and the archbishop if you really want him to forgive you.”


    Archbishop Quinton took Allison’s body’s hand.


    “Your father forgives you; He forgives all trespasses all you need to do is ask.  Now go, free this young woman of your presence.  She granted you mercy, be grateful and release your hold on her.”


    Allison felt a weight lift from her and suddenly she was in her own body again.  Lucifer was gone, all that remained was the warmth of his divine power.  She could still feel his memories there at the periphery of her mind.  Perhaps one day she could use them, but right now her mind resisted.  Seeing ninety billion years of existence was too much for her mortal brain.  Archbishop Quinton noticed the change in Allison’s posture and released her hand.


    “Are you free of your burden, child?”


    “Free of Lucifer anyway, I have a lot of other burdens you can’t get rid of with confession.”


    The archbishop nodded.


    “You carry a great weight, but the Lord does not give us more then we can carry.  I will pray for you.  I am blessed to have met you.  Please, take this.”


    Allison looked at the offered bible.


    “Uh, no thanks, don’t need it.”


    The archbishop folded Allison’s hands over the worn old white bible that Enid had used in her religion classes in high school.


    “We were just caretakers for this, it is yours.  Your mother wrote much in it.  May it guide you as it has guided so many before you.”


    Allison took the bible.


    “Don’t you need it?  For like… the church thing?”


    The archbishop shook his head then looked up at the makeshift crucifix crafted from junk metal and recovered cybernetic parts.


    “My time is over.  I can feel it.”


    Allison was about to disagree with him, but the door opened and four women in cloaks walked in.  They were heavily armed.  The kind of hardware that most military squads would drool over.  Allison heard a familiar voice and her heart fell.  She had led them here.  It was the priestess from her ship.


    “First daughter, step away from the criminal.”


    Allison stepped between the sisters and the archbishop.


    “No, you’re not the judge, jury and executioners.  There are laws.  If this man has committed crimes that is what the justice system is for.”


    The archbishop gently touched Allison’s shoulder.  Allison was ready to fight, though she was vastly outgunned and two of the sisters were vampires which would make this a fight she probably wouldn’t win.  She felt responsible.  The archbishop spoke.


    “You should go child.  This has been a long time coming.”


    Allison looked at everyone.


    “What is this all about?  What did he do?”


    The archbishop answered her.


    “I have done much wrong in my life.  These sisters are here to punish the sin of greed.  For I coveted many things, and when I was offered a fortune to steal weaponized antimatter, I did not think of what could be done with it, I only thought about what I could do with the credits.  When I saw what I had wrought in my blindness and greed, I swore I would try and guide the Christians to a better way.  To turn them away from the ways of war.  I will not run away any longer.  Let their crusade end with me, as this started with my crime.”


    Allison looked at the archbishop.


    “You supplied the antimatter to the terrorists?”


    Archbishop Quinton bowed his head.


    “A sin that has hung over my head for far too long already.  My purpose has been fulfilled.  Please, step aside, Allison.”


    Allison wasn’t sure what to do. She had family who had died in that dome.  Family who if they had lived may have meant her Babu wouldn’t have died, would mean he would have never gotten involved with the Ratoan Empress.  That their relationship would never have disintegrated…  She should kill him herself.  She grasped the hilt of her vibroknife under her long hoodie.  She turned to face the archbishop.


    “No amount of repentance, forgiveness, good done will make you right with yourself.  Lucifer was deluded.  You do what you do, then it’s out there in the universe.  You were born to be a monster, and you’ll die a monster.”


    She took her hand off the hilt of her vibroblade.  She turned away from the archbishop, pulled up her hood and as she passed the sisters she said.


    “I’m done with him.”


    She left the makeshift church and heard the tell-tale sound of assault bolters being fired.  She walked down the steps and tapped her comm.


    “Did you deal with the vampire problem?”


    Georgia Lance responded.


    “Yes, Shadow, they’re enroute to the Reapers.  Do you need anything else?”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, my business is finished down here.  I’m going to look around for a bit longer I need to clear my head.  You can head back to the ship.”


    She put her hands in her pockets and as she walked among the dregs her mind drifted back to her words to the archbishop.  She pondered if what she said was true, then what did it mean for her?  She found the answer was she did not care any longer.  She’d do what she thought was right, she would seek no forgiveness for her actions, for there was none to be found.


    Allison heard the sounds of a scuffle.  She drifted towards the noise.  Three men had a girl who appeared to be her age pinned to a wall.  She didn’t really think she acted.  She lunged at the closest man, grabbed him from behind.  With the strength born of vampiric blood and rage she slammed him into the worn hardened concrete that formed the ground here.  The furthest bolted but the next closest was not quick enough and Allison was on top of him with her teeth sunk into his neck.  He screamed because her bite was so violent and vicious, no amount of endorphins would cover up the pain.  She tossed him down after draining most of his blood.  The girl who was frozen in terror looked up at her with fear in her eyes.  Allison didn’t say anything, she just tossed her vibroknife at the girl’s feet and walked away.


    Allison walked on without looking back.  She realized she was angry, and she had no idea why.  Everything had gone to plan, and she’d seen one of the people responsible for a horrific terrorist attack punished.  She tried to feel guilty for killing two people, but her brain wouldn’t let her.  They were rapists, probably murderers, why should she feel guilty for removing them from the universe?  What made them better than that high priestess she’d beheaded?  Or all those demons and possessed aliens she’d turned to red mist with her bolter?  The Sal’nash?  Not a whole lot her mind reasoned.