Secrets and Sins

Chapter 18

~Beatrice~

Despite their talk, Ava still wouldn't leave the cell. She still refused to let anyone in it either. Beatrice was frustrated with the Halo bearer, whenever she asked what her plan was to get out of the cell, Ava just shrugged. It was both hampering their training efforts but worse, if she was honest with herself, she missed her terribly.

Beatrice missed touching Ava and Ava touching her, she couldn't sleep without the other woman lying next to her. She had grown so accustomed to Ava being in her space, not having the younger woman constantly in her orbit was making Beatrice very irritable.

"Hey Bea? Earth to Bea?"

"What?" Beatrice snapped at Camilla, who had just taken a seat next to her in the canteen of the Cradle.

"Woah, jeez. What's got your knickers in a twist?" The nun asked, looking offended.
"Oh wait, I know. Your girlfriend is under self-enforced house arrest, and you can't sleep without her." Camilla answered for her, with a smirk.

Beatrice just glared at her, though the nun wasn't far off.

"Well, I have a surprise for you. Maybe I'll show you if you can be civil." Camilla said, still wearing that infuriating grin.

Beatrice kicked her in the shin under the table.

“Ow!” Camilla yelped, looking shocked.

"Tell me or I'll do it again." Beatrice demanded.

"Okay, okay. No need to get violent." Camilla acquiesced.
"Come with me to the institute and I'll show you."

~Ava~

Ava was lying back on the cot in her cell. An empty bowl sat next to her on the floor from her breakfast.

Oatmeal, gross. Never again.

After her talk with Bea, she had started eating and drinking again, if not for her own sake but for the sister warrior's. Ava still refused to leave the cell though, so she hadn't had a proper shower in days, the best she had been able to do is wash with a flannel and a bowl of water Dr Salvius had given her.

Over the week, Bea had visited her daily, trying to talk her out of the cell, but Ava had constantly reminded her how dangerous that was for everyone. She knew the other woman missed her, God knows Ava missed Bea, but the Halo bearer would not put anyone in danger again, especially the woman she loved.

"Good morning Ava, I trust you slept well." Mother Superior asked, walking through the door, followed closely by Dr Salvius.

"Uh hi." Ava sat up, she could tell something was up, the Doctor was nearly vibrating with excitement.

"We have some good news. We may have found a way for you to turn the halo off temporarily, until we can solve the control problem.” Mother Superior explained, smiling.
“Doctor, would you care to elaborate.”

Dr Salvius cleared her throat, tapping away on the tablet until the large screen on the wall by the desk turned on, showing an image of the cerulean demon-attracting metal from the aquarium.

“As you know, this alloy contains both aspects of divinium and the halo. It seems to create its own magnetic field, hence the demon attracting properties. After doing some further tests on it, I believe it can and will nullify the power of the halo completely. Essentially blocking the activation of it.”

Ava gaped at her, “Are you saying that if I’m close to the metal, the halo won't work at all?”

“You would have to be touching it but that's what my simulations are telling me, yes, obviously we will need to field test it first. Extensively.”

“Hang on.” Ava interrupted.
“Won’t carrying the metal around attract demons and FBC’s to me? Also, won’t I be paralyzed without the halo’s power?”

Ava did not want to trade one way of putting her friends in danger for another.

“That's the incredible thing.” Dr Salvius spoke, beaming.
“The divinium/halo mix will negate your halo powers, yes. But also, your halo will render the metal alloy powerless as well. They cancel each other out. In regard to your paralysis, I don’t think you will change physically from how you are now. The halo will just be blocked from activation, so no instant healing or blasts of power, or levitating, or phasing, but you should still be able to function as normal.”

Ava was well and truly speechless. If this was true and worked in reality, she could rejoin her OCS family without worrying about Reya and the transformation at all. She could help prepare for the coming war. She could get back to her life.

I could be with Bea.

A shiver travelled through her.

“How do we test it?” Ava said, standing.

The Halo bearer tried to manage her expectations, but hope bloomed in her chest.

~Beatrice~

Beatrice didn’t understand why Camilla couldn’t just tell her now instead of making her wait until they got into the institute. The nun was being annoyingly tight lipped and stubborn about it.

I hate surprises.

Camilla led her to a room in the institute that Beatrice hadn’t been in for a very long time. It was the space Dr Salvius had given them to train Ava to phase through the 20 ft of concrete surrounding Adriel’s tomb. From within the room, she could hear the telltale sounds of sparing, recognizing one voice in particular. The sister warrior ripped open the door.

“Ava?”

“Hey Bea.” Ava flashed her a grin, before promptly being knocked flat on her back by Mother Superior’s vicious swipe to her leg with her cane.

Panic flared in Beatrice for a moment, bracing herself for the halo’s unsettling hum, but it remained silent. Ava whooped triumphantly, jumping to her feet. The Halo bearer ran towards her tackling her to the ground, laughing joyously.

What the hell is going on?

“What the hell is going on?” Beatrice asked, pushing the sweat covered Ava off her and sitting up to look around at everyone in the room.

Ava got to her feet offering Beatrice her hand, which the sister warrior took, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

“Isn’t it amazing Bea?” Ava beamed, showing her the slightly luminescent blue chain bracelet on her right wrist.
“It’s the metal you retrieved. It blocks the halo activation.”

Beatrice listened in awe to Dr Salvius and Camilla explain the science to her, both women had been working on this since they had acquired the metal at the aquarium. Beatrice was so grateful to her friends for working so hard to help Ava. The Halo bearer herself was bouncing on her toes next to her, very much looking like an over excited puppy.

“So, you have tested her under extreme pain, both physical and emotional, and nothing?” Beatrice dared not believe it, but both Mother Superior and Dr Salvius nodded.

“Yes, they have.” Ava replied.
“Zero stars do not recommend. But I passed with flying colors!”

“So, you can come back to the OCS?” Beatrice questioned, turning to Ava, blinking away tears of happiness.
“Yes!” Ava swept her up in a tight hug.

Beatrice hugged her back for just a moment before pushing her away again, “Ugh you need a shower.”

“Rude.” Ava pouted, while Camilla burst out laughing.