"My head fucking hurts. Pussy ass bitch Vincent. Couldn't even kill Shannon himself. Had to have someone else do it for him. I bet he's secretly sucking off Adriel tonight. Little bitch," Mary mumbled as Ava dragged her out through the back lot, searching for a place to hide Mary and herself. "God, could you slow down, kid?"

"No—you're awake. Thank God—but we have to hurry." Ava let out a shaky breath. "Adriel could be anywhere but you're hurt and I'm nearly out of my holy juice."

Mary snorted. "Your holy juice." Mary listened to the dragging of her busted boots and torn jeans on the cement below her, trying her best to ignore the humming she felt in her veins. She was tempted to fight back against the Halo-bearer and return to the battle field of the Vatican courtyard, but she knew she would be of no use. She tried to look down at her legs from where she was, being half lifted from the ground by her underarms. Her vision was blurred in one eye and blocked by a purple swell on the other. "Hey," she started, trying her best to sound as nonchalant she calm as possible in this situation. "I still have both my legs, right?"

"Uhhh," Ava listened to Mary's and her own ragged breathing and the scrape of her boots against the cement. She glanced down to check. "Yeah. A right and a left. Couldn't tel you which is which to be completely honest. But you have two so I'd say that's good enough."

"Okay," Mary answered. "That's good. You don't know your right from left?"

Ava stopped to take a breath, ignoring the question. She propped Mary against her shins and put her hands on her knees. She pulled a long breath into her lungs, feeling her stomach stir with nerves before letting her breath puff out, striking the hair that had fallen away from her ponytail amidst the chaos they had nearly escaped. She reached up to wipe away the slimy strings of sweat soaked hair from her forehead.

"Weak," Mary commented.

"Shut up," Ava snapped. "I haven't exactly had a whole life to gain strength yet." She paused. "Plus, you're not in the position to be calling me weak right now."

"I sure am." Mary shot back. "But I wonder if Vincent left his stupid van. I doubt he would take it now. What with the license plate being his."

Ava stayed silent a moment longer. "Holy shit."

"Huh?"

"Mary, you're a fucking genius."

Mary glanced up at Ava with her one not swollen eye, a bit confused, then cracked an unsure smile. "Of course I am."

Ava picked her up under the armpits again. This time, she turned the woman around. She heard something screech. She paused, waiting for the red tell-tale trail of a wraith near by, but found none.

"Oh keep going." Mary spoke, startling the young Halo-Bearer. "You're just scuffing up my boots."

"Oh good."

"Good?" Mary asked incredulously. "These are my good boots."

"That's not what matters right now," Ava answered, dragging Mary further across the parking lot. The walk there was silent save for the distant screeches of the wraiths accompanied by the sounds of battle and the drag of Mary's boots. The van came into sight and Ava held herself back from giving a sigh. She had seen way too many horror movies to know that a premature sigh of relief would just end them in more trouble. She propped the woman up against the front wheel and grabbed at the door handle.

"Nothing matters right now." Mary mumbled, finally breaking the silence. "Shannon's dead," she sighed, looking at her shoes. She looked up to Ava. "You're the Halo-Bearer by only god knows why, Vincent is a traitor, Adriel is loose." She used her hand to wipe away the blood spilling from a cut on her forehead. She stared at the crimson coating her fingers. "The world is fucked."

Ava tried to ignore the swell of guilt she felt at the words. It was her fault that Adriel was released. She had gotten them all into this situation. And maybe if she hadn't been so fucking stupid, she wouldn't be trying to get into a van that wasn't hers, the sisters wouldn't be fighting for their lives, Mary wouldn't be beaten and bruised, and they would all be able to go cozy up at the cathedral. Even if it was all a lie, Ava would settle. But now wasn't the time for overthinking.

"The doors are all locked," Ava commented, trying to ignore Mary's statements until later.

"Just bust a window. This pile of junk is so old it won't have a panic alarm. It's an old piece of shit," Mary paused, listening as Ava tried slamming her fist against the window. "Just like Vincent."

Ava slammed her fist against the window again. She heard her knuckles crack against the glass, a searing sensation running up her arm. "Fuck."

Mary chuckled. "Here," she reached into here pocket, "use this." She produced a ball point pen from her inside pocket and handed it to Ava.

"I'm supposed to bust a window with a cheep piece of plastic?"

"Shut the hell up and try it."

Ava rolled here eyes and gripped the pen in her fist. She took a deep breath and slammed it into the widow. A network of cracks formed on the surface. She looked at the pen in her hand and gave a surprised laugh before slamming it down once more. The satisfying clinks of glass shards sounded at the second strike. Ava listened as they fell to the seat and quietly rejoiced in the accomplishment. "Sweet."

"Now hurry up and open the door. Clear the glass with the pen before sticking your arm in."

"I'm not dumb. I've watched a lot of cop shows in my days."

"In your days," Mary chuckled. "You think watching cop shows is education?" Mary looked up at Ava, a smirk on her lips.

Ava thought for a second as Mary stared her down with amusement. "Yes." She didn't see how it wasn't. "So is Animal Planet."

"Oh so you would take dating advice from a soap opera? Or mothering tips from a sitcom?"

"Firstly," Ava began clearing glass from the window's frame, "I'm not a mother and never will be. And secondly," she jabbed at the loose glass, "I'm working with what I got." Ava reached inside the door and opened it wide. She climbed in through the open door and across to the drivers seat where she was able to unlock all the doors. She threw herself over the seat, wanting to get Mary in the back as soon as possible. But being hasty and thoughtless as always, she stumbled ever so slightly. Catching herself before she could fall any further, the cool glass wedged its way into her right palm and the back of her left thigh.

"Shit," Ava whispered to herself, getting all the way out of the van.

Mary turned her head, raising her eyebrows, or rather the one that wasn't frozen in place by swelled tissue. "What?" She asked.

"I fell on some of the glass."

"Well you gotta get it out quick."

"But I heal." Ava looked down at Mary who just kept her eye on her. "Oh. It'll heal over the glass."

"Bingo." Mary answered. "Now get it out of your leg and get me in the fucking van so we can go."

"God," Ava exclaimed. "So bossy."

"I'm not bossy, baby girl." Mary looked back towards the Vatican. "I'm telling you to get us outta here so we can go save our sisters. Look, I know you're feeling a bit upset about everything, but pouting and being a smart ass like a kid ain't gonna make it any better."

"I wasn't pouting."

"Uh," Mary scoffed, smirking. "Yes you were."

"You seem to be doing better."

"Better?" Mary asked. "This is nothing. In fact," Mary groaned as she tried to pull herself up to a sit, "I am doing..." she pushed against the ground, clearly struggling. She pushed up, her back leaving the side of the van. "Fine," she declared.

Ava watch her for a second longer before Mary's body crashed back into the van. Ava stepped over the other woman's legs and grabbed at the handle of the door, sliding it open. Mary fell against Ava's legs and was about to protest before the Halo-bearer grabbed her under the arms and began dragging her into the old messy van.

Mary yelped as her back scraped along the bottom of the van. It looked rather uncomfortable the way her back bent as far as it could to accommodate the metal framing of the door before dragging along the exterior and finally onto the crumb covered black carpeting of the van. Mary groaned as her shoulders and head plopped to the ground with a soft thud. "Bitch," she groaned, squinting her eyes to look up at Ava.

"Hey, I'm just hurrying up se we can go save the group. That's what you wanted, right?" Ava stepped in and closed the door. She crouched on the floor beside Mary and glanced out the window where a faint stream of light was coming in from an overhead lamp. She reached into her pocket to grab the small phone with the slide out keyboard. She began to press the buttons, struggling to hit the right keys.

"Give it here."

"Huh?" Ava felt Mary's hand on her arm.

Mary let out an annoyed puff. "You're taking too long. I'll help you learn to type later but now you need to give it here and let me send the message."

"Fine." Ava handed the phone to the older woman who took it and typed out the message expertly. Ava tried to ignore the twinge of envy at the sight of someone doing something so mundane so effortlessly when she could barely hold the thing correctly. She may have an advantage with the Halo in her back, but her missing time and experiences from twelve years sure didn't help her out.

"Alright," Mary slid the keyboard back behind the screen and held it out for Ava, "It's done."

Ava took in a sharp breath through her nose. "Now we wait."