Semantics of Free Will

They laid there; Ava, resting her head on Bea’s shoulder while the older woman kept watch over her. As they had been in this life, so they were heading into the next. Camila whimpered as she looked over their ruined bodies.

“It’s alright, Camila,” comforted Bea.

“Yeah Cam,” said Ava, “but I need you to do something for me.”

“What’s that?” asked Camila, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

“I need you to take this.” She weakly lifted the Halo from off of Bea’s chest. Camila looked unsure as her eyes went back and forth between the two women.

“She’s right, Camila,” agreed Bea. “It should be you.”

Camila swallowed thickly and slowly reached for the Halo…

…and closed the Warrior Nun’s hand over the ring. She then reached for Bea’s hand and placed it with Ava’s, holding her own over both.

“We should pray first,” said Camila through her tears.

Bea smiled at her—that was Camila, ever the perfect nun. Struggling to keep her eyelids open as she was becoming weary, she chuckled softly as she thought back to the last time she had prayed.

She ran up to Ava’s crumpled body lying on the ground at the foot of the pine…

Seven minutes came and went.

Tears rolled down Beatrice’s cheeks as she gently lifted Ava to check for the tell-tale glow from the Halo.

There was nothing.

Bea’s eyes went wide as realization shocked her system. Could it be so simple? She heard a distant voice in the back of her mind. “There are worse things than hope. Have faith.”

Have faith.

“Ava!” she said, looking at her lover. “Pray with us!” She could hear the desperation in her own voice.

“Bea?”

“You need to pray with us!”

“Bea,” replied Ava sadly, “you know I don’t…”

“Ava!” she cut her off. “I need you to trust me!”

Ava watched her carefully, her gaze lingering as if she was searching for something. “I trust you, Bea,” she said.

So the three women prayed. The two dying Warrior Nuns holding the angelic weapon between them along with the sister warrior they chose as their successor.

Camila, with her eyes closed, was whispering Last Rites and other prayers under her breath.

Bea repeated her mantra from all those weeks ago in her head. Please save her. Over and over.

Ava had closed her eyes and for the first time in this lifetime she prayed, simply asking no one—and everyone—to let her and Bea stay together, wherever they ended up next.

Yasmine and Dora sprinted through the doorway, immediately shocked at the scene of blood and gore around the giant amphitheater. Yasmine quickly found the three women together—Ava and Bea lying in a pool of their own blood and Camila kneeling in it next to them. She pulled Dora along with her. Both nuns kneeled next to Camila and silently joined their sisters in prayer.

They prayed.

And they heard around them a high-pitched ring.

And the Halo glowed.

The two Warrior Nuns gasped for breath as they felt their bodies begin to heal themselves. It happened quickly, almost instantly. Ava shuddered for a moment and then relaxed into Beatrice with a smile on her face. She was already used to the sensation but also only felt it for a moment before the Halo was completely drained again. Bea, however, was not nearly so calm.

“Holy fuck!” she nearly shouted, shocking the sisters from their prayers. Ava burst into laughter. “Shut up, Ava!” said Bea with a smile. “Sweet Jes—does it always feel like this?”

“What the hell is going on?” asked Dora.

“I thought you were dying,” said Camila. “I just gave you both Last Rites!”

“We were dying, Cam!” said Ava, a bright smile on her face.

“I could not get much closer,” agreed Bea.

“Well then what happened?” asked Yasmine. “Also, since you both are apparently not dying anymore, do you think we could stop kneeling in—whose blood is this?”

“Mostly mine,” replied Bea. “But if I guess right Ava is currently paralyzed and I—I really just don’t feel like getting up at the moment.”

Dora had a puzzled look on her face. “Hang on a second,” she said, “did the Halo just heal Beatrice?”

“Oh! That’s right!” remembered Ava. “Bea’s the Warrior Nun now!” Yasmine and Dora looked back and forth between the two women, eyes rounded and mouths hanging open.

“Actually,” Bea corrected. “We both are.” If possible, Dora’s eyes opened even wider and she and Yasmine both crossed themselves.

“They ask a good question though, Bea,” said Ava cheerfully. “How did you know that would work?”

“I…” she hesitated, unsure about how to answer the question. “I guess because I had already done it before.” Confused and incredulous looks met her and she explained. “When you were lying at the base of a pine tree, unconscious—maybe dying—and the Halo was unresponsive. I prayed for you to be saved—and you were. I thought, at the time, that it had recharged but then you were paralyzed for another half an hour. I hadn’t really thought about it again until just now when Camila said we should pray.”

“I’ll be damned,” whispered Ava.

“Not this time, apparently,” replied Dora, causing Yasmine to snigger.

Camila pouted, “I guess this means I don’t get to be the Warrior Nun then.” Bea stared at her with wide eyes.

“Cam!” Ava shouted indignantly and Bea burst into uncontrollable laughter. She couldn’t help it. The day’s strain on her system had—finally—forced her breaking point with Camila’s joke. She was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, Ava lying paralyzed next to her, in the underground amphitheater of a dead demon’s cathedral after having fought against a fallen angel and becoming the second Halo Bearer. The absurdity was too much. The rest of the women in the room laughed with her as the tension of the day finally released. She had no idea how long it went, only that her sides were straining as she gasped for air by the time she had calmed down.

“So,” she said between gasps of air, “Ava killed an angel today.”

“Yes we can see that,” replied a smiling Camila. She was looking at something close by, a little past Bea’s view from the floor. Her face suddenly grew serious and all trace of humor was gone from her voice. “Lilith didn’t make it,” she stated. And just like that, the atmosphere became solemn.

“Reya killed her,” replied Ava. “She died saving my life.”

“Wherever she is now,” said Bea, “she’s finally at peace.” She took Camila’s hand and squeezed it as the tears started down the young nun’s face. “That reminds me,” she continued after a few moments silence. “The mission isn’t over. We need to destroy the Arc.”

She made to get up but Camila placed a firm hand on her shoulder before she stood herself and jogged up to the Arc. She was not gone long when she came back to report that the explosives were all in place. Lilith had succeeded in the mission before she saved Ava. “We should blow it from outside the room to avoid any shrapnel,” said Camila, looking at both Ava and Bea pointedly. Then she checked her watch. “Any minute now, Ava.”

Shortly thereafter they were up and moving. Yasmine had told them about the fight outside. “A lot of the FBC ran shortly after we returned. Most of the Swiss Guard on both sides were killed but Lieutenant Kuhn survived. He’s hoping to smooth things over with the Vatican for us when the local archbishop arrives. The Samaritans also had casualties. But the OCS did well, some critical injuries but everyone is alive—apart from Lilith, of course.”

She had since gone upstairs and returned with Lieutenant Kuhn and a few of his men as well as Todd and the Samaritan leadership. Camila and Dora were preparing Lilith for the journey back to Cat’s Cradle as Ava spoke to the group.

“We’re removing the bodies from down here and taking them with us. After the room is emptied, we are detonating the Arc.”

“I’m not sure the Vatican…”

“With all due respect, Lieutenant,” she cut him off, “I don’t give a damn. This is beyond church doctrine or any other such bullshit. If it weren’t for the Vatican, none of this would have happened today.”

Bea listened to the back and forth with a smile—proud of Ava for taking charge. She had gone to retrieve her weapons and was currently inspecting Reya’s remains, wanting to be absolutely sure the angel was in fact dead. Her concentration was broken, and her smile wiped from her face, by a new imperious voice with a strong Spanish accent.

“That will be enough of that, young lady,” said the archbishop as he charged forward, surrounded by priests and Swiss Guard. He was late middle-aged with spots of gray blending into his dark hair. A wispy goatee surrounded his thin mouth. He held himself with the air of a man who was pompous about his position but shied away from any real uses of his power. His tone was condescending—this was a man who was used to getting what he wanted but did not like to fight for it. “I have spoken with the Cardinals; you will not be destroying the Arc. And we will be taking possession of this—angel.” He looked over to see Bea still kneeling next to Reya’s head and body. He and his priests crossed themselves before his face became apoplectic.

“What gives you the right to defile an angel of the Lord?”

Before Ava could answer, Bea stood from her spot and turned to face the man. Blood, dark and half-congealed, dripped in long slow strands from her arms and hair as she stood, gripping her broken staff with its evil-looking blades in one hand and a handful of bloody arrows with blue-glowing tips in the other. Her habit, even darker than normal, clung to her legs and body. Bloody strands of hair were stuck to the sides of her face, causing light streaks of red on her bronzed skin. The effect was both equally terrifying and mesmerizing.

She glared at the archbishop as she smoothly walked towards the group. A deadly grace born from years of dedication to her craft was highlighted in every movement. She carried herself as if she was easily the deadliest woman in the world—and she knew it. Ava would almost have been nervous if Bea hadn’t smirked and winked at her as she walked by.

“Archbishop,” she began with a tone of warning. “Thank you for coming. It’s nice to know that the Vatican can be counted on to get involved once the OCS makes the world safe again. That body over there was no angel. She was Adriel’s counterpart and her designs on the world were the same as his.” She lifted her arm and pointed. “The Arc is their doorway. If we don’t remove it now, more creatures that want to kill or control all of humanity will eventually come through. We are going to destroy it.”

“The Vatican…” replied the man weakly.

“It wasn’t a question, Archbishop.” She turned her back on him and joined Ava.

“That was so hot,” whispered the younger woman.

“Not now,” Bea scolded, but with a smile light upon her lips.

“Bathed in the blood of an angel!” she said enraged.

“Bathed in the blood of an angel?” Bea looked around the mission room back at Cat’s Cradle. Ava, Camila, Dora, Yasmine, Mother Superion and Father Vincent were all in the room watching and waiting as she read through her Writ of Excommunication. None of them would look at her.

“Such a blasphemy cannot be allowed to go unpunished,” she continued. “A true and honest contrition and sincere return to the flock will allow the former Sister Beatrice to save her immortal soul.”

“They’re mad about the Arc and Reya’s remains,” supplied Father Vincent. “This was simply an excuse.”

Bea shook her head in disbelief and again muttered, “bathed in the blood of an angel,” as if she could not believe the words.

“Bea,” ventured Ava after a moment, “are you mad about the excommunication? Or about the angel blood thing?”

“That wasn’t angel blood,” she replied indignantly. “That was my blood.”

“Well, to be fair,” said Ava delicately as Bea looked at her, “they didn’t know that at the time and I can see their point.” The table all looked at her with confused expressions while Bea's was one of angry skepticism. Ava looked back at her innocently.

“You’re my angel, Beebs.”

“Aww,” gushed Camila and Yasmine together. Dora and Father Vincent both looked at each other and tried not to laugh. Mother Superion shook her head with a small smile on her face and Bea turned bright red as she sat back down next to Ava, betrayed by the edges of her lips as they tugged upwards.

“I think it might be time for you both to take a vacation,” said Mother Superion. “Leave Cat’s Cradle for a while, let us handle the Vatican.”

“We’ll miss you both,” said Camila, hugging both Bea and Ava in turn outside of the bus station in town. She, Dora, Yasmine, Eileen and Rosemary had all insisted on seeing the Warrior Nuns off.

“We’ll miss you all as well,” said Bea. Her eyes were welled up with tears but the relief to be away with Ava was evident in her body language.

“Don’t worry,” said Ava, “I’m sure we’ll see you all soon enough. Rookies!” she pointed at Eileen and Rosemary, “keep them out of trouble!”

“I’ll keep you updated with our travels, Camila,” Bea stated. “For now assume we’ll be in Switzerland until the next time you hear from me.”

They were both hugged by Yasmine and then Dora. She held onto Bea for a little longer. “Don’t waste your time on those overly sweet shots of hers anymore,” she whispered into the Warrior Nun’s ear—voice thick with emotion. “Just enjoy the good stuff.”

“Thanks, Dora,” Bea replied, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. “Don’t forget why we do what we do.” The tough sister warrior squeezed her one more time before letting go. Bea then hugged Eileen and Rosemary in turn before addressing the five of them together.

“You’re our team. Anytime you need us, we will be there.”

“Yeah,” agreed Ava. “You’re my family,” she hesitated, “thank you for that. I can’t really begin to describe what it means to me. I love you girls.” They all stepped into a massive group hug as the bus pulled up. Soon Ava and Beatrice were on board and pulling away.

They sat together on the bus. Ava was looking out the window at the passing countryside while Beatrice read her novel. A sigh roused the older woman from her pages and she put her book down in her lap as she looked up to see Ava smiling at her sadly. Bea could feel her heart beat in her throat as her breathing went shallow as Ava reached over and wrapped their hands together.

“I’m going to miss them.”

“Me too,” replied Bea squeezing the younger woman’s hand. “But it’s for the best for now. Mother Superion and Vincent are going to have to negotiate with the Vatican about the future of the OCS. It would be good if we’re not around when that happens. Besides,” she continued with a smile, “now we get to start living our lives together—for real this time.”

“Until the next crisis,” input Ava.

“Until the next crisis,” agreed Bea, “but at least there isn’t one looming.”

“My God you’re going to get so tired of me,” smiled Ava. “I’m going to drive you nuts.”

“You’ve already done that, darling,” Bea teased. “But don’t worry. If you start to bother me too much I’ll just take the Halo for a while and leave you stuck on the floor.” Ava laughed out loud at that.

“I’m really excited for this you know,” said the younger woman.

“Me too.” She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on Ava’s lip.

Hans was cleaning in the back when two people walked into the building. It was shortly before lunch and the place was empty when he heard them take their seats at the bar. He had just come around the corner when he was startled by the pair of pretty young women who were beaming at him.

“Ava! Bea!” he greeted as he ran around the bar to embrace them. “You’re back! How are you? Bea—you’re hair!”

The change had been dramatic. Rather than spend the next couple of weeks’ worth of showers rinsing out dried blood, Bea had preferred to have most of her hair cut off, leaving her with a short bob that extended to just below her ears. Judging by Ava’s reaction, which held even more enthusiasm than when she saw the blonde wig, it was the right decision.

“Just trying something different,” she replied lightly. “It’s good to be back.”

“And are you back?” he asked them. “For real this time?”

“For a while,” said Ava with a smile. “We plan to travel a little but for the most part we want to be here.” She looked at Bea and her smile brightened. “But you never can tell.”

“We just stopped in early to say hello and ask about jobs,” Bea said. “And we didn’t want to disrupt you tonight when it gets busy.”

“You’re hired!” he said instantly. “I’ll let the owner know. But not tonight. Tonight we all celebrate!”

They left Hans a little later. He wanted them to do a big reveal later on that night—it would get the regulars spending more to buy them drinks. They walked hand in hand from the bar to their same little apartment in comfortable silence. Mother Superion had told them that it was still being paid for by the church and the OCS, though probably not for much longer.

They entered the apartment and Ava charged ahead, throwing down her bag and spreading her arms out wide. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, taking in the feel of the little place, the smells and the taste. She turned on her heel, beaming at Bea who was staring back at her with possibly the sweetest smile she had ever seen.

“You are breathtaking,” she said as she walked over and embraced Ava, kissing her hard on the mouth. The younger woman pulled her face away and placed her chin on Bea’s shoulder as they continued to hold each other.

“Welcome home.”