Clashing Day and Night

Church bells echoed through out the town. The Texas sun crawled to the top of the sky, scaring the shadows below the clay home. 12 rings silenced the busy roads.  The people rushed to their homes. Those too far away gathered in front of the church. Smiles filled their faces as the thick heavy doors creaked opened. Then the quiet air was filled with claps and cheers under the beating sun.

A old man dressed in a black robe with stepped onto the porch of the church. The cool shade warded the heat from the sun allowing his pale face to stand out among the pink crowd. He walked forward, never crossing that line between light and shade, and waved to his audience. The crowd roared with praised of their Bishop, the founder of the town. He was their leader, their shepherd. They where but his sheep. His hand returned to his trimmed beard.
"My people, it is time I make my journey east. I will be gone for a couple weeks but when I return, I shall bring great blessings to our town."

The man was one to give many speeches, especially when the camera's were rolling. Today was the first in several weeks since mentioning the trip. His attention to the town has been minimal leaving the people hungry like neglected children. They roared again as the man returned inside the church. He was busy. There was much work to be done.

A week ago, he sent a message to group looking for "Knights" who could protect him on his journey. Important men like himself were always at risk of danger. This trip would be the first time his enemies would have a chance to meet him. So, he hoped his "Knights" would arrive soon. They were given special instruction to attention this gathering at noon, but should they be late, they would be guided inside by one of the churches staff who stayed at the church as the crowd dissipated.  

The man sat down in his chair on the stage. His grey hair swirled after his hat was removed. A small book lied open in his lap with the word "Il Fantasma" highlighted. The man couldn't look away as the stories of two men were told through multiple news clippings.
"To think they were still alive and active. I was a fool to announce this trip..."
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Standing outside was A man and two women. The man, Jose was stretching his arms in the sun. He was a exceptionally tall Black hair man with blue eyes. His body screamed gym junkie as his muscles fought his tight grey shirt and jeans. He had a quiet but stern voice for a man and was the most trusted member of the church, at least until a week before the great trip was announce. He hoped to be able to speak to Bishop, maybe even plead his case to join him. Life to the man was not as fulfilling without his usual talks with the man.

One woman with red hair and brown eyes just stared at Jose while sitting on the stairs. She went by Rose and was recently put in charged of the churches finances after the trip was announced. She knew the hold plan, or at least the surface of it since she scheduled the rental vehicle to the trains station in the next town, the train tickets to Mexico and then the private plan to Rome. While, she did not understand the reason for such a round able method of travel, she was okay with it since she got to spend more time with Jose.

The last girl was leaning against the wall under the shade. Sweat ran down her tired face she tried to cool her head down. She was new to the staff, just a recent volunteer since the previous staff member was on an surprise business trip. Her name was Holly and she was the Carmickle's teenager. She was in her rebellious phase, as her parents called it, and hated the church. However, she suddenly decided to volunteer as staff after a near death experience with a car accident. Though she has been more quiet than usual, her parents were too excited about her new found interest in the church to care. She wore sunglasses and had black short hair with a green streak running off to her left side.

All three would be on the look out for these "knights." While they were not expecting men in armor, they hoped the group would make themselves easy to pick out in this small town. Also Jose would also like to talk with the group and even try to convince them to let him come. He was a muscular guy after all and a little bit of muscle never hurt right? Jose would follow Jose around like a fan while Holly would keep to herself with her arms crossed and a water bottle in hand. She did not want to speak with anyone one and would rather hate on the Texas heat.

Jehoel's computer dinged as an email popped up. Some bishop requested his present at a gathering in a week. How he knew about Broken Arrow was beyond him, but Jehoel replied with one word. "Yes." The rest of the week allowed him to prepare.

The vetting process was tough, even for Jehoel. So many firewalls and protection around the bishop made it difficult for him to get a clear grasp on who exactly he was working with. When he did finally get down to the nitty-gritty there just wans't much there. An older man, Italian born, Bishop. The only three facts he had.

"Alright guys. We are working the shadows here." Jehoel briefed his men. "A bishop needs a protection detail, we are going into Mexico, down to some middle of nowhere landing strip and accompanying him to Rome." He continued, "Roger, make sure the permits on the weapons are good. We can't have any fuck ups here. Luke, look and see about SUV transportation. Emma, contact the local LEOs, make sure they know we are down there. Can't have another UK thing happen." His speech was matter of fact. In this line of work you couldn't beat around the bush much.

The trip to TX was a bumpy one. Taking an old re-purposed 747 was a good idea but, it wasn't the easiest thing to take off or land in. Tires where expensive.

Getting to the location was easy. The big church and crowd where hard to miss. Jehoel and his three partners jumped out of their vehicles. A mass of about ten others joined them. All had suits and ties. Roger with his black hair and sunglasses. Luke, the ginger of the group, and Emma, brown hair and green eyes. All packing and wearing the most expensive bullet proof suit you'd see.

"You three follow me." He pointed to his main buddies. The rest of his men stayed by the vehicles and made a semicircle of protection around the entrance to the church.

Jehoel looked around, three people where around the main door, the only one that really interested him was the big buff guy that was stretching when they pulled up. His clothes pulled at his muscles. Jehoel stretchered out his hand for a shake. "How are you today? We are Broken Arrow, here for the Bishop, would you mind taking us inside?" He finished.

The man smiled, gave him a tight gripped shake, "Follow me." He seemed relieved in a way.

Jehoel walked into the building, removed his slim sunglasses and wiped the sweat from his brow. Seeing the gray haired man, "Ready to go sir?" He questioned.

The doors screamed in the silent church. Jehoel walked inside followed by Jose, Rose, and then Holly. Holly moved to the stair well,
"I need another water. Be right back." Holy whispered to Rose who half paid attention.
"Sure sure... whatever."
To the left side of the sanctuary and into the back room.

Jose and rose hovered around the man quiet as they realized how small they were in the room. Jose quickly let go of his desire to join them. This new person, this knight, seemed really direct. Time seemed of the essences but he was too far out of the loop to tell.

"Broken Arrow, Thank God you could make it. On time might I add," The Bishop chuckled and closed his book. To too was surprised at how direct the man was. Sure he knew of the general plan but The bishop did not share everything. There was a lot more things to go over before trip started.

"With your timeliness, I hoped we could discuss somethings. It would a shame if you failed to do you job due to lack of information. Don't you agree Mr. Jehoel?" The bishop pulled out a cane and started walking to the back of the room.
"Jose. Rose. Grab my things and set them by the front door."
"Yes your holiness," Jose and Rose said before running off to the back room.

The Church was quite large but had a large sanctuary with a single aisle that ran into a podium rows of booths ran beside the aisle. There was a second floor in the Sanctuary which was held up by couple of pillars. More booths lined up on the second floor allowing more guess to watch the sermon. Behind the throne like chairs was a table with several chairs. It was hear that the members of the congregation would hold meetings and the likes. It was here that The bishop wanted to speak to his knights. There was a back room which linked into several other miscellaneous spaces. The entrances into the back room were a door on both sides of the sanctuary and another door behind the table.

Luke looked around the church as he walked in. Noticing the one girl walk off he took a mental note. Then glancing around to appreciate the structure. It was a large church, seemed to be an older building, the marble of the alter all cut from the same peace. Statues of St. Marry and Peter where on each of the corners of the room, the same wall of the entrance. A single aisle leading to a podium. The room held an echo as the people walked, "Bigger than it looks." he thought, turning around a couple times.

"Roger, with me." Jehoel said as he waved the other two off. "Sure thing sir. Lead the way." He followed the bishop deeper into the church.

As a table came into view he would wait for the bishop, after he was seated Jehoel would follow suit. Roger remained roaming behind him, looking at the walls and taking it all in. Then would stand beside Jehoel with his arms crossed. It wasn't a threatening position, just something he thought was comfortable.

"More information would always be appreciated. I hope you don't mind Roger here, he helps a lot with directing my men. I assure you, we can keep what is said between us."

Jehoel didn't dislike the bishop, he hardly knew the man, but when it came to people in positions of power he had a hard time beating around the bush. He was just waiting for the man to talk about how important he was, and all the deeds he's done, or why Broken Arrow should simply fall in behind his people. It wasn't about to fly. Jehoel's reputation was on the line, not to mention his hesitation with orders.

The bishop walked with a cane, though Jehoel had a feeling he didn't need it. What else was he not saying? He began to pay more attention, making mental notes of the little things he noticed.

The bishop was please that the "knight" was respectable and listened. His life was in the man's hands after all.
"I appreciate the confidentiality but I feel we are pasted that. After all, I hoped Rose shared with you my general plan no?"

The bishop placed his cane onto the table. It was painted black with a red gem seemed to glow when under a light. Then he reached into his robe and pulled out an envelope. He slid it to the man. It had no seal. If opened a letter written in Italian was inside. The paper was old, but still well put together.
"See Mr. Jehoel, I find trust a hard thing to come by in these days. It is so easy simply change alignments for the slightest hint of power. At last, we all need others in order to succeed and I am afraid I have very little time to vet everyone who met. So i do hope I can trust you."
If anyone even hinted at saying something about the envelope before Jehoel took it, the bishop would clap loudly.

The letter:

"NOW have you heard of the being known as Il Fantasma?" The man started stroking his beard watching what Jehoel would do with the letter. He would grab his cane after the man grabbed the letter. Should Jehoel try and give back the letter silently, the bishop would hold out his hand stopping the attempt. Should anyone try and say anything about the letter, he would clap again. Should this be his second time clapping, he would glare. It was irritating when people did not get the picture.
"My trust is with you now so please hear me out. Il Fantasma is a code name for a special demon. This demon has managed to kill my people, my friends, but nobody can catch her. Nobody would see her... at least until this one incident with with a club. Some Hero claimed he encountered the being. He said it was black with glowing purple eyes. It did not make sense. Il Fantasma was a myth, a story about a being who would murder those who betrayed the teachings. It was a children's tale told to bad boys and girls. A special one to my people alone. So whoever is doing this, must be targeting my family..."

Suddenly the lights went out. A blood curdling scream from Rose came from the back room. The Bishop grabbed onto his cane with one hand gripping the gem. He turned to Mr. Jehoel wondering what the man was going to do. Was this his doing? If so, he was prepared to defend himself.

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"Are you sure you want to do this my child?"
"We need that letter. It is important, more important than his death."
"Then please bare with the pain. I will make this quick."

Gia walked through the backroom, while holding her head. Her objective was to shut off the power, hopefully without being seen. Because of the light in the hallway she had to move fast. She had no powers and could not escape if she was caught. However, things would not go as planned. Rose broke away from Jose looking for Holly. She needed help moving something while Jose was inspecting the inventory. Walking through the backroom, Rose saw a black figure moving towards a breaker box for the church.
"Hey, this area is off limits today!"
Gia turned to the girl, with her purple eyes and sighed. She opened the breaker box and flipped the switch shutting of all the lights in the building. Then a shadow tendril slammed into the box all the switches. Rose screamed but a another dark figure pierced a black sword through her chest the figure held the woman there letting her drown on her on blood. Meanwhile escaped the scene moving to the sanitary. Holly bumping into Jose holding a candle.
"Are you Holly?"
"Yes... i think..." The girl was holding her head, "I think I have head cold..."
"Good... lets find Rose and... oh no!"
The man's face went pale after his candle revealed the woman grabbing onto a black object that drove through her chest.
"Holly get back" Jose ordered while reading himself to fight whoever was holding that black object.

"Yes. We know the gist of it." Jehoel said then continued to listen. When the bishop slid the paper across the table Roger simply looked at it, he could tell it was for Jehoel alone.

Jehoel continued to listen as the man spoke, but he reached for the envelope and opened it. The paper was thick, it reminded him of his collection, written in the 1800s or so, and in Italian. Pretending not to be able to read it, he folded it back to its original state and gestured the letter back to the man. When the bishop's hand went up Jehoel lifted it over his shoulder. "Safe." He told Roger, who took the letter and placed it in one of his inside coat pockets.

When a client gave things to Jehoel he always put them in a safe for the trip. After this conversation the letter would be taken back to the SUV and placed in a small iron box that was tucked inside it's trunk.

"Never heard of em." Jehoel answered as the man spoke. A demon, the thought almost made him laugh. Things humans makes up to scare little children into believing their stories. His face turned back to stone as the man continued. "What teaching are you referring to?" Before the bishop could answer the lights went out and a scream was heard.

Getting out of his chair Jehoel directed the bishop to get to the ground with a whisper and a down motion with his hand. The bishop and Jehoel would move to the center of one of the walls. There where two doors to this room. Roger had his Desert Eagle trained on one and Jehoel kept his eyes in the center of the space, 1911 in hand. He was trying to take it all in with a steady cold glance.

"Lights are out, get people in here." Luke's voice broke over Comms. A small radio was inside Jehoels pocket.
"We are in the backroom. Move!" Jehoel commanded.

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Luke was admiring the St. Peter statue when the lights went out. The scream pushed him and Emma into action. Grabbing their weapons from their sides, Emma pulled an MP5 from her jacket and Luke his .45 Sig. Pointing them toward the direction of the scream.

Luke grabbed his radio with his other hand. "Lights are out, get people in here." He spoke. Suddenly the front door to the church bust open and five men ran in. Jehoel's voice sounded over the radio. "Emma, get to the back. You three go with her." Luke pointed to the men. "You two stay with me.. And prop that door open, it's dark as fuck in here." Light flooded the sanctuary.

Emma and her men pulled out their flashlights and moved quickly to the back room. "One coming in!" She said to warn Jehoel and Roger while opening the door. Roger turned around and pointed his gun at the other entrance. Emma's group stood outside making a wall of armed men facing the direction of the sound. As soon as she opened the door Jehoel would move the bishop in a crouched position out of the backroom to the sanctuary, then out to the cars.

The light from the stained glass and the door made it bearable inside the sanctuary. Jehoel could feel his strength return for every step he took closer to the exit.

The dark figure held on to the girl slowly moving her it's side and staring at Holly and Jose. It walked closer to the staff members. Holly backed away, stopping after she left the light of the candle. Jose held his ground with this eyes bouncing between the woman and the figure. He did not know what to do, but he held his ground. He had to protect Holly from the demon.
"Get out of here, go warn the..."
Blood splattered across the floor and the candle light died out.
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Gia sat in the second floor watching new beams of light entered the church. She watched as men and women entered the church with flashlights and guns. She found it hilarious that this one man could organize such a team in a short period of time. Lunetta scouted out this whole town for weeks and saw no sign of such a force. They must of gotten here today. There was no time to steal that letter from the Bishop. The only option they had was to kill the bishop now. The man was making his way to the exit. There was light sure, but it was not bright enough to render spirit's powers useless. Still, it would be too risky get reveal or fall under one of those flashlights. So the spirit made decided to work her way to the fleeing men.

First she spawned a tendril which slammed the door on the left side of the church and held them shut and pushing the man out of the church. She stuck a black dark knife into her seat and threw another one over the door so it would not touch the entering light. Then she warped to the other side switching places with her knife and spawned a tendril which closed the door on the right side hopefully pushing that man out as well. 4 more shadow clones spawned in the knew darkness and charged at Bishop and charged at the 3 closes groups. Gia would then disappear as Lunetta was now not under any light source. It wast time make an appearance. The back doors separating the meeting room from the backroom slowly opened and the dark figure would get ready to attack the retreating group from behind.

Emma's voice rang out and Jehoel and the bishop dashed out of the room. Jehoel kept his hand on the bishop's shoulder to keep him low. Emma pointed her gun and flashlight down the hall behind her until all three of the men where out of the room. Roger backed out and then took point in front of Jehoel while heading toward the exit.

Luke was standing next to the door when it suddenly shut. The force pushed the two men that where holding them open outside. Luke tugged on the door but it wouldn't budge, hes eyes went wide when he noticed the long black strands holding it closed.

"Meta!" Luke's voice said over the radio as he shined his light at the strands and started to shoot them. If they disappeared he would yank the door open and face into the church till the others left. If not, he would send more rounds into the handle then pull it open.  

Gun shots burst inside the church as flashlights begin to beam all over the place, each noticing dark humanoid figures rushing at them. Emma kept her light facing behind her and noticed more creatures pouring out of the meeting room's door. "Three at the rear!" She yelled and began to shoot small bursts of gunfire into each one.

Jehoel urged the man forward. With all of the guns going off around him he just wanted them to make it out alive. If the door was opened he would run straight out and get into an SUV. If not he would have the bishop go into the right corner of the church near the exit and keep him low.

"Roger, Luke, Emma." Jehoel spoke over radio, "Get that door open, fall back to the entrance."

A meta always complicated things. The situation was as bad as it was going to get. The lights where out making it difficult to see, he was now in a room with two stories, his enemy could easily have the high ground.

That's it. Jehoel thought. If the doors didn't open within a moment Jehoel would increase the intensity of the light from the windows and flashlights. Each window and flashlight would be like the sun was shining directly though them. In the same moment a thin shield would surround Jehoel and his target, pouring more light into the church, but this shield was physical. Only thick enough to stop projectiles though, knives and bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate it.