LOG; complete

[evilbeneath.livejournal.com]

When; Thursday
Rating; G
Characters; Abel {neverblessed}, Cain {evilbeneath} and Lilith {holymadonna}
Summary; The three Crusnik finally have a reunion, though it did not quite turn out that well for Cain.
Log;

It was getting to be a habit, this was the second, or was the third time this week that he found himself at Xanadu. The gardens were as lovely as ever, but when one was surrounded by so much beauty, one tend to grow used to it after awhile.

Oh well~ To be fair, Lilith had not had the chance to wander about the gardens yet. She would probably like the place. The smile that he wore grew a little sharper. The fact that he knew that Xanadu was a public place as well as the place where 04’s body was found was also a bonus point. It is highly likely that his twin would wander around here.

Perfect~


Of course that Lilith would not make anyone wait for her. She arrived, donned in her sari and Hindu accessories, contrasting with the newly acquired over-sized rosary hanging around her neck. It wasn't as intricate or expensive as the one she lost but it made her feel safer to be with it. As if God was with her and would spare her soul from the sin hidden in her system.

She stopped at the entrance, looking side by side to spot Cain. She remembered him as a short haired joyful man with neat clothes and glasses. The gardens were as beautiful as distracting, but she did not pause to behold the beauty yet.


It did not take too long before a familiar figure came into view. Once upon a time, Cain would have been glad to see her, but not now. She was just a hindrance, a hindrance that should have been long gone and forgotten, but no, she just had to come back and haunt him. He was willing to be patient this time around, the blond Crusnik has learnt from his past experience. It was preferable that 04 sided him this time around.

Cain gave the older woman a warm smile and a wave as he made his way to her. “It has been awhile, Lilith. I… I have missed you.” The words were genuine to a certain extent. The blond did miss her, in his own idiosyncratic manner. After all, she was an ally that could be counted on. It was too bad that she sided them.


Lilith had a double take when Cain approached her. He looked different. More happy-go-lucky than the man she had in her memories. It didn't mean his clothing would reflect in his attitude, but she was used to see him wearing glasses.

"Cain," she greeted smiling, opening her arms to enfold him in a gentle embrace. "I am happy to see you an well." He looked more fragile too, as if his body was against him. As a specialist in health care she couldn't quite put the finger what was wrong, she could only known something was awry and that filled her with concern.


He registered the surprise in her face but said nothing about it. It was probably due to the changes in his physical appearances. Well, he could not blame her; after all, the Cain she remembered was the Cain during the Mars Colonization Project 900 years ago and not the present Cain.

As she felt her arms around him, the blond Crusnik smiled and returned her hug. “You did not change at all, Lilith.” He pulled away and looked her up and down. “It looks like you have almost recovered fully. I heard that Knives and Vash has been kind to you.”


He was a painfully thin man in faded priest robes, his silver hair caught up in a long tail and his pale blue eyes hidden behind his glasses. Shoulders stooped as if weighed by a heavy burden, Father Nightroad wandered through the gardens not really looking at his surroundings, more intent on his own inner mussings. His twin was worrying him; Abel knew that Cain had to be up to something. He knew that Lilith was probably the source, but he couldn't figure out what and it was driving him to distraction.

Sighing, he kicked at a stone before straightening his shoulders and looking up. Then he had to rub his eyes and look again. Lilith and Cain, hugging? He felt the flash of anger, fueled by the nanites hunger for action, and almost pulled his gun. Instead he clentched his jaw and fumed, silently.

Lilith did not sense Abel approaching. Her back was at him and thus, she couldn't see him either. Cain's health was worrying her, judging by the state of his skin. There was something wrong with his body and she couldn't hide her concern.

"They have been very nice to me. Knives has rough edges but he's a good man," she said, placing her hand on Cain's forehead, taking his body temperature in search for fever. "Are you ill, Cain?" she asked, saddened. How could he be ill? With the genetic code they possessed and the Nanomachines made injury and sickness impossible.

That left Cain facing his younger twin. The smile on his face went a fraction wider as he saw Abel stop in his tracks. It was as if this entire scene was orchestrated. The blond Crusnik watched as his twin took a second take and upon realization that the sight before him was not a figment of his imagination, a frown formed. It was almost too easy.

He caught his brother’s eyes for a second. “I am not in the best of health, but it is nothing for you to worry about,” he said, his gaze returning to the slender woman before him, allowing her to fuss over him.


He could feel the vein in his forehead throb with each heartbeat. If it wasn't for the gloves over his hands, he was sure to be cutting his skin from the force of his nails. And he knew that Cain was still playing him, playing on that temper he never really lost over all these years. Yet Abel couldn't just let Cain act all so innocent standing there with Lilith like that. When they knew what had happened to begin with.

"Cain," he said, managing not to sound too much like he was seconds away from attacking. "Lilith."


Lilith's soft features became harder, more serious. "How can you say is none of my concern? I am still your doctor, as I was Abel's. I would not settle with leaving any of you ill," she said in a gentle but firm voice. What did he expect her to do? Walk away and pretend he wasn't ill? She sighed, wearily. Didn't he trust her?

Abel's voice came as a surprise and, instantly, she turned to see him. A priest. He had become a priest. When he told her he had joined the Vatican, Lilith imagined it was in secular bodyguard quality. Father Abel made her chuckled. She also recognized his hair was longer, just like Cain's and to her astonishment, Abel carried her rosary.

"Abel!"

There was so much she wanted to say in this moment. Their meeting was supposed to be tomorrow but fate had brought them together before.


“Lilith, you are jumping to conclusions again. I did not say that it is not your concern, only that you should not worry about it too much. I have been suffering from this illness for a long time now, I hardly even notice it anymore,” Cain said, giving her a sad smile. Lilith had always had a strong protective streak, especially towards Abel, Seth and him. If it pleases her, he would just have to submit to her fussing later.

At the sound of his name, the expression on the blond’s face grew wistful. “Abel…” Cain stepped in front of Lilith, as if he was shielding her from the silver-haired man.


Abel glanced at Cain, blue eyes narrowing behind his thick glasses, and his mouth tightening. Oh yeah, he was so wanting to just take that expression and rip it and the rest of his face off. He tried to control himself with a deep breath and with focusing on Lilith. Cain was only trying to make 02 react. Cain only wanted to show Lilith that he did not change. But it was hard.

"Lilith, it's good to see you again." His voice was steadying out at least.

That was odd. Abel was angry (which she didn't find surprising) but Cain was shielding her? What for? Abel never had fought her. He usually calmed down when she spoke to him. Lilith lifted an eyebrow and gently patted Cain's forearm, shaking her head. She wasn't someone who must be protected. They knew that. She was someone who protected others.

Wordlessly, she approached Abel with a smile on her face. She didn't find his glare or his jaw tightening particularly intimidating, never did. "Your hair is longer," she mentioned before trying to embrace him too.


So, 02 was ignoring him was he? Abel will regret it.

Cain was someone that did not take kindly to being ignored, most of all, by his precious, precious twin. Abel can be so stubborn, so quick-tempered at times. Even nine hundred years did not change his temperament any.

He allowed Lilith to walk up to Abel, though he followed her closely, giving Abel a sharp grin that, one that showed his true intention as he held up a hand and crooked his index finger at the priest, challenging him to try something.


His expression softened at Lilith's approach. He couldn't help it; even though Abel wanted to remain watchful and angry at Cain, this was Lilith, someone he thought he'd never see again except inside her glass coffin. To see and never touch again, or hear her telling him he was childish, or watch her enjoy a sunny day. All things taken from him by Cain.

At that thought, he glanced up at his twin even as he opened his arms for an embrace. The smile was pure evil and so was the look accompanying it. He stomped on the anger, on the growing rage of his nanites and focused back on Lilith. Did she just ask him something?

"Um, the crucifix? I'm sorry I had to have something to remember you by. And I just didn't feel like keeping my hair short any more."


Lilith embraced him and held him tighter, more intimidate against her. This was Abel, the troublemaker, the person she always spent time with to keep him out trouble and because everyone else avoided him. The Terran hater, the man with so much love and so much grief she wanted to save.

"I don't want anyone else to carry it," she confessed, touching the silver crucifix. "You are a man of God now." She had been the Vatican's ally, but never joined their ranks.


Tsk, tsk. It looked as if his little taunt did not work. Cain should have held back a day or two before posting the other day. Oh well~ There are plenty of other times.

He took in the scene in front of him, watching as Lilith embraced Abel. It seems that Isaak is right after all. Abel is still influenced by the negative element, which is Lilith, and her presence in the City would only continue to corrupt him. It seemed more and more likely that he would have to free 04.


"Yes, I joined about ten years ago," he said, softly, trying to hold back the tears. It was her, from the way she smelt to her solid presence in his arms. He had thought at first that she might be like Cain, almost but not quite the person in his memories, but this proved him wrong. It was much easier to ignore Cain as well, his entire focus on Lilith.

"I missed you so much," he said, not sure what to say except that. The truth of the matter was he never forgot her. Her death had killed him all those years ago.


It shocked her how deeply Abel seemed to need her. Lilith looked up, meeting his eyes with hers full of confusion and compassion. She released him from the embrace and tried to move to a side, reaching to hold his hand while she offered the other to Cain.

"I miss you both for the short period of time I was gone," she said, including the elder "twin" into the conversation. "Should we give a stroll through the park, the three of us?"


Cain definitely did not appreciate being ignored, especially not by his twin. Was it as he had feared? That Abel too was corrupted beyond salvation? Isaak has hinted at it. This will not do, this will not do at all~

He looked at Lilith offered hand, hesitating for a moment before taking it into his own, giving the dark-skinned woman a small smile. “A stroll will be lovely, it has been quite awhile since we have spent any time together. I only wish that Seth were here with us. She would enjoy the gardens.” This meeting with 02 and 04 has proven to be rather insightful, though it was not turning out the way he planned it to be.

Oh well, he would just have to improvise as he went along.