Ascension: Nosey Humans & Fickle Fates...

  The uninvited guest awkwardly stares at the trio...

  Noah looks mildly surprised, Karma seems indifferent, and Father Judas appears perplexed.

  He really left the door unlocked?

  "Well, damn..." the man scratches his beard with a disappointed scowl across his face. "A reminder that I'm only human and still make mistakes; I could've sworn I locked that door," he sighs and leaves it alone, casting his steel-toned gaze upon the sandy-haired woman's form with a rather direct and potent tone. He also ignores Noah glaring at him for cursing in God's House. Hypocrite.

  "Well, welcome to the Church, ma'am. I'll assume you heard more than you needed to, yes?" he chuckles with a casual air about him when he crosses his arms behind his back. Noah stands, and Karma steps behind the two with her hands slipped into her back pockets; she's down to watch this go down with a subtle smile. There's another pause in the room as everyone settles down, and then the newcomer speaks again.

  "Y-Yeah..." she croaks out the words while scratching the back of her well-maintained head and hair, her eyes shutting when she apologetically smiles. "I, uhh, wasn't trying to eavesdrop, though! I swear!" Her expression snaps to one of sincerity, and she lets out a rather embarrassed laugh. Then, her eyes settle on them all...

  "I just didn't want to interrupt your conversat-"

  Karma cuts her off.

  "Then why didn't you leave the moment you realized you shouldn't be listening in?" she asks, and everything freezes like ice; a potent question. Noah and Father Judas stay out of the exchange, but their eyes quickly dart to the newcomer after Karma's peculiar inquiry. The mysterious newcomer shuffles her feet for a few seconds while scratching her cheek with an embarrassed look painted across her face again. She knew it; she was in trouble.

  ".... Curiosity?" She decides it's best to come clean and sighs, resting a hand upon a modest chest. "I'm a journalist, so it's a bad habit of mine to be nosey?" She flashes the most awkward smile, like she's trying to appease and diffuse any animosity and is failing at both; she's rarely caught like this. There's another peculiar pause in the room, and the men turn their eyes on Karma, who's strolling up to the newcomer with a casual swagger to her step and an air of dominance that's well-deserved. Replicants are the only things on this planet above humans in the pecking order. Allegedly.

  Karma stops inside the newcomer's personal space, her face inches from theirs...

  A lioness staring down a kitten...

  "You know curiosity kills cats?" Karma asks, her one eye scanning the woman. "What's your name, first of all?" is a casual inquiry and demand woven in one question and tone, which the other woman immediately complies with and answers.

  "Elizabeth..." the brown-eyed woman speaks with clear signs she's intimidated in her voice. Karma's got an energy about her that the other two don't; a type of cold wickedness felt through her icy, nonchalant expression. What's a woman like that doing in God's House? Elizabeth remains silent while Karma straightens her posture and looks over her shoulder at the men; she looks indifferent.

  "Wanna know what we did to eavesdroppers in No Man's Land?" Karma flashes a playfully wicked grin at Noah and Father Judas before flicking that half-hidden gaze back on the slender and ordinary Elizabeth, her grin turning almost sadistic. "It's not something you want to hear twice," she cooes, and Noah steps up and speaks.

  "Alright, stop scaring her," he orders, and Karma backs off without resistance, but she chuckles. Elizabeth takes a few seconds to quell the anxiety in her chest before those eyes fall upon the golden hues of the Savior that the soldier from the other day told her about. All her curiosity now focuses on the Replicant before her: Noah, the Heavenly Savior. He looks so human.

  "Are you made in God's Image..." Elizabeth mutters aloud without realizing it, mesmerized by Noah's handsomeness up close for a few seconds before snapping out of it and shaking her head; she was in a daze for a second. Noah lofts a brow, perplexed by her behavior, but disregards it and carries on with a casual flow; they've got more important things to talk about.

  "Why are you here?" Noah asks, curt and quaint, while eyeing the woman with a neutral gaze. "Let's get that question answered and out of the way first," he adds, and Father Judas nods, stepping back and giving Noah control of the room. The priest eyes Karma with a knowing look, and the young woman is already on it, stepping back as well, when Elizabeth locks eyes with the taller Noah and answers with total honesty.

  "For you."

  The room is silent. Oh?

  Noah sighs inside; he can't catch a break.

  He keeps a stalwart expression, though.

  "Oh yeah? Why?" Noah casually asks, slipping his hands into his pockets and slumping on the bench again, relaxing. Elizabeth blinks, perplexed by the man's mannerisms, before her eyes dart toward Father Judas and Karma; they're silent and watching. This exchange is between her and Noah. Elizabeth catches onto this silent confirmation and turns her attention to Noah again, elaborating.

  "There's been rumors of an impending Descension and the birth of a Savior in recent decades; I'm here to confirm the real story and alert the public," she explains in a single breath, then huffs to catch up on the breaths she missed. Her explanation is straightforward, but also complex, leaving plenty of avenues of exploration behind her deeper intentions. There's another silent shift in the room as Noah, Judas, and Karma exchange silent glances. Are they having an exchange through body language? Elizabeth can't tell.

  Suddenly, Karma walks up on Elizabeth again...

  They're so close they could kiss if Karma wanted it...

  That eye of hers bores into Elizabeth's submissive, timid expression...

  She's staring a redeemed murderer in the eye.

  "What does telling the public do to help?" Karma suddenly asks, pulling back from Elizabeth with a casual question and a hand on her hip; she's taking control of this conversation now. "Cut the bullshit, you just want to be a hero, don't you?" Her second question carves the air like a knife through ice; jagged and abrupt. Elizabeth's visage flashes with shock and confusion, as if she's dumbfounded and offended by the question. What?

  "... Excuse me?" she asks with a rising brow and a hand clutched to her chest; Karma doesn't look like she cares and repeats herself.

  "Oh, we're playing dumb then, are we?" the black-haired woman sighs and lightly pinches her nose, shaking her head before carrying on. "Okay, new question then, journalist..." she lowers her arm. She steps into Elizabeth's personal space again, her aura alone forcing Elizabeth to give ground and take a few steps back when Karma asks...

  "And, then what?"

  Silence grasps the room again. Elizabeth doesn't understand.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  And then what? What does she...?

  "You can't be that stupid, little girl," Karma scowls, calling a woman likely older than her little with aggression in her words. The blue-eyed woman then rests a hand on her waist again and elaborates, speaking as if to a simple-minded child who needs simple words to follow along. "You tell everyone everything they need to know about the Descension, and then what?" she asks again and taps Elizabeth's lips with her finger. A bold assertion of dominance between them; Elizabeth doesn't respond.

  "What do you think people will do once they learn an apocalypse is fast approaching? One likely to exterminate the last bit of humanity left on this planet?" she questions with genuine curiosity in her words; she wants to know Elizabeth's honest answer. However, not before she's done saying her piece first.

  "I think that telling the public the nitty-gritty details about the incoming apocalypse will only seal their fates with annihilation; humans are short-sighted, idiotic, and pathetic animals..." She straightens her posture and backs off Elizabeth, turning to Noah and Father Judas next. Elizabeth's eyes are locked on Karma's form like the others when the lady casually paces around the church, speaking her honest thoughts about the whole situation.

  "I mean, they killed Jesus, and he was perfect!" she cackles at the irony, then briefly touches the eye hidden away by her hair; that golden one now. "You tell them about Noah, they'll probably try to crucify him the same way. Humanity as a whole doesn't seem to enjoy learning from its mistakes," she chuckles again and drops the subject. She waltzes over and sits beside Noah, a little closer than she should. Noah doesn't react in any way to it; his eyes are on Father Judas now. He wants his insight on Karma's take.

  "I agree," Father Judas says without missing a beat, drawing Elizabeth's shocked expression when he elaborates. "Secrecy is not a sin; lying is. One who knows the distinct difference can effortlessly be forgiven for the sin of lying if it protects from a greater harm. Few know that the Holy Commandments are not absolute, but perspective-based. Humans are corrupted with Original Sin; thus, their overall wavelength will always favor negativity." There's another pause when he gestures to Noah.

  "One of your greatest strengths, Noah, is your ability to understand things on a deeper level; you have wisdom and insight far beyond your natural age due to your origins," he says, but Noah's expression hints he's not following along. Judas gives a slight sigh, but carries on. There are more urgent things to talk about than one's lack of attention span during previous lessons. Father Judas sets his eyes on Elizabeth, appraising her while gesturing her way.

  "Regardless, Karma is right in that telling the public about Noah and the Descensions will only incite chaos; humans are easily spooked, after all," he hums and looks Karma's way now. "So, what do you think we should do about this moving forward, Black Cat?" he chuckles at his spontaneous nickname, which Karma seems to like, as she flashes a grin upon hearing it before answering.

  "I say we keep her around like a pet," Karma shrugs afterward, resting a hand on her hip again while eyeing the lackluster human with indifference. "She likes to be nosey, and it's unlikely she'll abandon this bullshit unless we kill her, so..." She tosses her hands up and looks at Noah first, then Father Judas, before settling that half-hidden expression back on Elizabeth's unassuming form with a snort.

  "Welcome to the biblical apocalypse crew, journalist," Karma says that last part with a sneer when she walks over and taps the woman's shoulder. "You can be our personal recorder for all the shit to come, and when it's all over? You can write and post about whatever the fuck you want to the public! Sounds good, yeah?" she chuckles with a wink, almost like she's flirting; she is not. This woman's taunting and teasing is like a cat playing with doomed food. Noah stands and grunts next.

  "If she lives long enough to see it end..." he bluntly says, looking over Elizabeth again, and it's then the woman notices the scar running over his eye. Elizabeth feels a chill down her neck; he didn't have that before. She asks this next question without even realizing it...

  "How'd you get that scar?"

  The room goes silent, and Elizabeth immediately regrets asking...

  Her urge for discovery is a gift and a curse...

  Then?

  "Oh, I did that!" Karma takes credit with a sweet smile while wiggling her fingers in the air at Elizabeth and Noah; she then briefly brushes away the hair covering her redeemed eye, sharing her similar scarring before giggling again. "He's my twinsie! Aren't we cute?" she can't help teasing Noah, who's sighing in total annoyance. Today's going to be annoying...

  "Anyway..." Noah cuts the chatter and dusts off his black overcoat, his favorite part of his usual outfit apparently. "Basically, what they're saying is you're our confidential prisoner, so to speak," he keeps it short, plain, and simple when explaining things; he's not a man for beating around the bush.

  "In short, you're free to hang around since you know too much, but if we find out you leaked classified information like this to the public, you'll disappear," he casually gestures to Karma, who smiles at Elizabeth; it's like looking at a grinning shark. Elizabeth doesn't even think about testing the implications given, even if Noah were bluffing; Karma's got an unstable air about her that only Elizabeth seems to notice. Yet, she's in no position to bring it up; she keeps quiet and nods.

  "A-Ahem..." she clears her throat and fidgets with her hair, looking at her knees and nodding. "Right! I agree and accept!" She pauses and thinks before reiterating the terms for clarification. "This means that you'll allow me to travel with you on request, and if I survive till the end, I'll be able to release everything to the public?" she confirms, and Noah looks to Father Judas for the final say; he is the priest, after all. Judas looks over all three of them in contemplation, like he's thinking about things beyond their understanding, then he nods.

  "Yes, if any of us survive the end, you can tell the Savior's legend..."

  The room is quiet again; Noah looks off to the side in silence...

  The Savior's legend?

  Why is everything always on him...?

  Is this how they felt...?

  Adam, Abraham, and Je-

  "Noah?"

  The Savior snaps out of his daze at Karma's calling, looking at her and freezing for a second when he sees Eve's image in her daughter's visage; it's a sharp, sudden look that makes Karma pause. She tilts her head and furrows her brow, looking suspicious.

  "... You alright?" she asks with a little concern, and Father Judas steps around for a closer look at Noah's expression while Elizabeth steps back; she's not sure what's going on. The priest catches Noah's recovering gaze before Noah shuts out and lies, saying he's fine; Judas is the one man he's never been able to lie to. However, Judas doesn't speak up; someone's here who shouldn't be.

  "I'll be sure to have you examined for corruption after effects in a bit; we need to stay on topic for the moment," the priest turns his attention to Elizabeth, casually holding out his hand as if beckoning her close. "Now then, journalist. You've heard of Twilight City's fall to an Abyssal Rift, yes?" he asks, and Elizabeth tightens up and answers without batting an eye to Noah; he looks fine, she won't press. The journalist turns toward Judas and nods.

  "Yeah, I heard it succumbed recently and is overrun by demons; is the military mobilizing that way?" she asks, and Judas promptly shakes his head.

  "No, the military is already spread thin as it is." he pauses and gestures to Noah and Karma. "They'll be going there alone; two Replicants of their caliber should be more than enough to close the Abyssal Rift," he trails as if considering something before looking at Elizabeth again. Karma speaks before he says anything; she can't help making a joke.

  "I give her a week." Karma sneers and chimes in when she stretches, ready to get things going. "Anyway, talk about lucky you; you get what you wished for on your first time asking. Ain't you god-blessed?" she chuckles, earning a side eye from Judas and an annoyed scowl from Noah; neither men do much else. There's a shift in energy to a more relaxed essence when Elizabeth sighs in relief; danger is nothing new to her. If only these people knew about her history...

  "I assure you, I'm not useless in the face of danger..." the young woman assures with a confident nod. "I may not look like it, but I was a gleaner before I was a journalist. I lived in No Man's Land before getting citizenship in Fort Apocrypha," she reveals much to Karma's surprise. Karma suddenly eyes Elizabeth with newfound interest; the ordinary journalist isn't so ordinary after all.

  "Oh?" she cooes, but she's cut off by Father Judas pitching in with a gravelly baritone.

  "Regardless, Twilight City is not a place for the faint of heart," the priest eyes Elizabeth with stalwart silver eyes, making sure she understands the weight of what she's getting into. "Your thirst for documentation is putting you in danger, that I can assure you, you are not prepared for. However..." he sighs and turns to face the giant statue behind him, looking up at the scythe and cross with thoughtfulness.

  "However, the free will to chart your own course is a God-given right, and I will not try to dissuade you from this dangerous path; you are already intertwined with these two, it seems..." he then turns and faces Elizabeth with a more serious expression; the most intense one he's had since the start. Only then does he ask the potent question.

  "Are you willing to die to see the truth, though?"

  What a genuinely terrifying question...

  "I won't die..." Elizabeth suddenly says, looking Judas in his eyes, while the rest look at her with rising brows; where's this confidence from? Elizabeth clutches a hand to her chest and explains herself with confidence. "I'm not the type of journalist that thinks I'm invincible when seeking truth; I know I'm human and fragile..." She pauses and looks to Noah and Karma next, the sincerity in her eyes and words almost physically tangible.

  "I won't be a burden or dead weight; I promise you. I just want to understand why this stuff is happening in hopes that when everything's over, humanity has the information to make sure another Descension never happens again..." she says with assuredness that shakes the energy of the room. Nobody expected this ordinary woman to have such fire in her. It makes Karma smirk. Noah looks at Father Judas, who keeps his eyes on Elizabeth like he's analyzing her down to the soul. Eventually, he gives way.

  "Then, welcome to our fight; we hope you meet expectations."

  Elizabeth plans to exceed them.

  Next Chapter: The Word Around Town...