The Hunter

[Father Barton]

Location: French Country Side, St. Mary Church

John was knelling on the steps leading to the alter with his hands clasped together. His head was bowed, eyes closed in silent prayer to a God he devoutly believed in. Not that, that meant him and God where on good terms often times John was at odds with the higher power.

Despite being at odds John was not an ungrateful servant to the lord. He knew that God was the one that gave him ability to fight and vanquish the evils that most mortals thought where the things of their nightmares. Most mortals didn't get to see the world as John did. They didn't have to face the darkness that he chose to face long ago.

They could just go on ignoring living there little ignorant lives not seeing the true world. For the Majority they where the lucky mortals the ones that lived to old age never having to see it. Only a few where chosen or forced by some external force to see the world for what it was, one big shit hole. One big mess that had long ago gotten out of control.

That is where John was at odds with the God he served. The higher power could have fixed it from the beginning but instead chose not to interfere. Chose to let it go on until it got to out of hand to point where not even his divine intervention could contain all the shit that over flowed out of the supernatural toilet unto the mortal realm. John felt he was nothing more than a glorified janitor clean up a mess that should have been dealt with a long time ago.

Still even at odds his faith and devotion did not falter because he was the one that chose this path. He never blamed God for the path he took but the mess that lead him to this path could have been vanquished long ago. So he prayed to the God he faulted for the mess to give him the strength to continue to fight. Prayed for the strength going cleaning up the mess that was not his fault.

As he prayed he felt the presences enter the church but it did not deter him from his prayer. The presences walked up behind him and stood there but did nothing. John knew it couldn't it was against the beings code. As John finished his prayer he made the sign of the cross and looked above the tabernacle where the holy cross sat.

"Why are you here?"

[Nicolas Mason]

Nicolas sat down in the pew off to the left a few feet behind John. He didn't say anything at first as John asked his question. Nick himself stared up at the Holy cross something that once long ago meant something to him. He himself used to be blindly devoted to God long ago. In his mind God had failed him turned him into the immortal monster he was now. Finally he looked to the man knelling in the center on the steps leading to the Alter.

"I think you already know why I am here?"

Nick was here to kill the hunter as Samuel had asked him to do. Nick never asked a reason so as to why Samuel wanted him dead nick didn't know nor care. As long as Samuel could pay Nick didn't need a reason to kill this stranger. It was simple Samuel gave Nick something he wanted and he would kill anyone Samuel asked. As long as the terms didn't change business was business.

"You know once I devoted my entire life to God. I grew up in a Catholic orphanage and God was the only parent I truly knew. I was going to be a scribe writing his words but the crusades called and I joined the knights Templar in his service. Yet when it came to dying I wasn't allowed in his halls I was rejected and turned into the monster I am now."

[Father Barton]

As he figured this man had come to kill him but which of his many enemies had found him he had to wonder. John spun around from where he was knelling to sit on the steps and face his executioner. He didn't know the man which meant he was minion of who ever wanted him dead this time.

The man in front of him was wearing steal toed cowboy boots, blue jeans, a belt with over sized silver buckle, a white t-shirt, and a black leather Jacket open in the front. John knew what he was but he had expected more a sword of some kind or a more medieval dress. To say the least Nick didn't impress him he looked more like Brujah thug then an immortal.

"I find it curious your kind can't kill on consecrated ground. Vampires have no problem killing on hallowed ground. Shifter types can rip you to peaces anywhere they feel like it."

John was well aware of most of the habits supernatural beings brought to the table. Yet Immortals where curious in nature to him especially when it came to rules of hallowed ground.

"Demons can't even get to within fifty feet of holy ground without feeling pain or bursting into flames at the extreme. Yet your kind hallowed ground seems to have some kind of divine hold over that doesn't allow you to kill."

Over the past year and half John had spent every moment trying to find out everything he could about immortals. Even refining his natural hunter senses to be able to feel there kind. Yet even after all that he had no real idea what their motives where. Vampires, shifters, and even demons where predictable in their nature and motives but immortals didn't seem to fit any particular picture.

"You ever think maybe God gave you gift instead of a curse?"

[Nicolas Mason]

Nick listened to the priest's curious ramblings of comparing immortals to ever other kind of despicable gutter trash of the supernatural world. He noted the twin fifty caliber desert eagles holstered under his shoulders. Nick had come into this meeting well aware that John was no ordinary man of God.

No John was a soldier of God much like he once had been when he was of the Knights Templar. He was part of the sword arm of God's holy army meant to fight the darkness. Nick had heard of rogue priest's that served God in the battle against the darkness but John was the first one he had ever met.

"You're one of God's chosen judges so weather I am blessed or cursed is your decision is it not?"

[Father Barton]

"God didn't choose me; I gave myself over to him. I made a sacrifice for my abilities I traded my soul and life to God. To save the soul of another from eternal damnation."

He had once long ago made a pact with God to do his bidding unquestioning in order to give Jenny his soul mate a place in God's divine halls. He gave her his place in heaven and swore an oath to fight the darkness. He would suffer eternal damnation himself once he past but as long as Jenny was safe from the fires of hell John was willing to take her punishment as his own. In the mean time he would fight the darkness as payment. In turn God gave him the powers of true faith as his weapon against the darkness.

"With your kind there is a blurry line as to whether you are guided by the light or the dark. Some shifters also walk this line I generally side with if they don't meddle in mortal human affairs they can slide for the time being."

[Nicolas Mason]

"So you would let me slide because the lines are blurred so long as I don't mess with your gods flock?"

Mason was slightly intrigued with this man he was sent to kill. Then again most hunters didn't even know his kind existed. So that alone intrigued him more than anything else this man had to say.

"Make your judgment of me then I have killed mortal men in wars, I have kill them for payment, and I killed them for just being annoying. When I win the game my kind play I will make the mortals do my bidding and those that don't listen I will kill."

Mason didn't even flinch as he spoke his words he seemed so sure of his actions. In his mind not a single immortal could beat him simply because he was smarter and more devious then all of them. He made his own rules to the game they all played.

"So Judge me priest am I worth letting live?"

[Father Barton]

John smiled lightly as the man asked him to judge his worth. Father Barton took a glance behind him up at the cross of the lord for an instant. This was the house of his father not a place of killing.

"Is this your confession? Do want me to deliver you absolution?"

It was the only thing John could offer this man in this place. He would not kill here much like he knew the man in front of him could not kill him here. They were both at a stalemate one man choosing not to kill and the other unable to do it.

"That's all I can offer you here. Your release will have to wait for another place and time. I will not kill you in the house of God and you can not kill here. So unless you seek forgiveness you have no reason to be here."

[Nicolas Mason]

"Well you are correct I can't kill you on consecrated ground."

Nic's hand reached down to his belt where pushed the send button on his beeper attached to it. He smiled at John as ten men in monk like cloaks barged in threw the front doors. They lined up along back of the last two pews evenly on each side.

"I can't kill you here but none of them have that problem. You see I find value in a few mortals because they are loyal even worshiping at times."

Nic raised his left arm into the air as each of the humans dressed as monks pulled AK's from the folds. Nic smile didn't stop for a moment as he stared at the hunter.

"Now are there any final words or something you would like to confess before I send you to meet your father?"