The Disease

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Light streamed in through the brightly colored windows, bathing the statue
of Mary in a radiant aura. Light from above shown upon the alter as well, as
if God himself wanted to share his warmth with his servants. The light
banished shadows from the savior's seat.

"Sister Priscilla, its time," Father Williams said softly. Priscilla S.
Asagiri nodded slightly, her wimple hiding her lucius brown hair from
sight. She stood, stepping away from her pew. Not that she'd actually been
praying there... she merely went through the motions. Priss would never
                         pray again.              

"Yes Father." she whispered, walking up to the alter. The solar ambrosia
surrounded Priss, bathing her face, the light glittering in her cold red
eyes. Not for the first time, Father Williams noticed the emptiness that
swallowed Priscilla's face. It bothered him, especially at times like this.
It made him nervous.

"I've never hurt you." he told her softly, unclasping the front of her
habit. "I saved you, brought you here. You understand, ne?"

"Yes Father." Priss whispered as her clothing slid to the floor. Father
Williams paused a moment, admiring her form. He reached out to touch her
fair neck.. to stroke a single finger down her almost perfect body. Then,
he unclasped his own robe.

As Father Williams pushed her back against the alter, the light shown once
more upon Priss's face. It flooded her vision, blinding her. She closed her
eyes, but the light burned through her eyelids...


"So much for the Mighty Priss." Largo sneered, holding Priss down against
the remains of her Motoroid as he raped her. Too beaten to resist, her
Hardsuit shattered, and her Softsuit in bloody tatters, Priss merely tried
to ignore what was happening to her. It wasn't working.

She turned her head slightly, looking for some kind of comfort in Sylia's
eyes. Those eyes stared blankly at the pool of blood in which she lay, her
throat cut by Largo. He'd appeared out of nowhere after they'd dispatched a
rogue 55-C... grabbed Sylia and let her live just long enough so that she
saw who he was... so that she saw the face of her killer.

Linna and Nene had tired to aid Sylia, running forward while Priss stood
by, jaw slack in shock. If anything remained of Linna after the Particle
Beam hit her, it had been scattered to the winds by the explosion that
followed almost instantly thereafter. Priss had last seen Nene smashing
into the side of a building.

Which had left Priss facing Largo alone. Again. They were both stronger
than they had been, but Largo was more so. He tore at her suit systematically, 
going for her weapons first. He'd literally ripped her suit from her,
leaving her beaten and broken. Then, the Coup De' Grace, he'd pulled her 
over to her Motoroid to give her the final humiliation.

She'd tried resisting, at first. He just laughed in her face. She'd tried
to ignore it... to wait for death. She couldn't. So, vomit rising in her
throat, Priss prayed. She closed her eyes tight and truly prayed for
someone, somewhere, to save her.

A flash of crimson cut the night. Largo cried out in shock as Nene slammed
bodily into him, knocking the Super Boomer away from Priss. Nene grabbed
a hold of him as she tumbled towards the side of the building, bear-hugging
him to herself. Thus embraced, the pair fell, transmuted into a ball of
flame by the self destruct system in Nene's Hardsuit.


Father Williams paused as he heard Sister Priscella begin to cry. He was
struck with a sudden fear that he'd hurt her, and that somehow everyone
would know. His dirty secrets would be revealed. An apology beginning to
form on his lips, he opened his eyes.

What he saw before him stole the breath from his lips. Priss was indeed
crying. Twin trickles ran from each of her eyes, which were pressed shut
with her memories. However, it was not salt water that streaked her face.
Pure crimson blood flowed down her face, dripping from her tear-ducts down
onto her breasts, and from there down her body and onto the habit that lay
at her feet.

Father Williams stumbled back further, tripping over his own clothing. The
light from the window shown all around them.

And from the statue of Mary came twin streaks of blood. The blood of
Priscilla Asagiri and Mary, Mother of God pooled together on the floor,
reflecting the brilliant light, making glittering patterns of light shine
through out the church.