The Revelation of Alicia Barzini

Edward nods his head, leading them both into a prep-room, "I bought in my head of section for this...this is Doctor Andrea Namel..." gesturing to a petite woman with green eyes, little else could be told about her due to being dressed from head to toe in surgeons grab.

The woman nodded politely and went about inspecting the equipment, checking it over, occasionally dipping it quickly in a bath of the same semi-transparent grey goo to let the nanites quickly strip any possible bacteria from them.

"She's a highly skilled surgeon and an expert with nanotechnology...I will be accompanying and overseeing the operation...I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room Father Michael while I go make sure that the operating area is completely sterile and get dressed in the correct clothing..."

Edward turned to leave before turning back, "there is a private waiting room with a television, a sofa if you require sleep along with tea and coffee making facilities, one of my assistants will guide you to it Father Michael..."

He motioned to Alicia, "now, just lay down here, unfortunately anasthetic doesn't affect the Undead, still, I assume you can do as most of them and enter a suspended state of death while we operate...if not, then I shall just have to settle for the old method and knock you unconscious with a mallet of some kind, I do not usually operate on traditional vampires"

Edward nodded to Andrea, "if you continue to make sure our patient is comfortable I will go get ready..."

Edward exited the room to get changed, getting into his sterile scrubs, sterilizing his arms and hands and awaiting in the operation room as the clone body was bought in. Giving it the once over to make sure everything was fine he motioned through the glass window seperating the two areas for Alicia to be bought in.

The operation was about to begin...

Alicia was wheeled into the operating table beside her new clone body, Edward nodded to the gathered team of surgeons and the operation began.

Eight Hours Later
Edward dabbed the sweat from his brow as Alicia was wheeled into a private ward, being lifted into the bed and hooked up to all the required machinery, she'd come round soon enough, the operation had been a success and the nanites had successful attached the brain to the new body, healed all the surgical wounds and finished the last round of modification.

However she would experience something the good doctor liked to call 'Nanofever' where the heat given off of the millions of hardworking atom sized machines would raise the patients blood temperature and cause them to feel feverish...it would pass soon enough though.

Dressing out of his surgical scrubs and heading into the waiting room.

"It's finished Father Pious, please she can't take visitor at the moment, give it an hour or so when she'll be fully recovered...she should be out within another four hours once I've done all the tests to make sure everything went well and the nanites have deactivated themselves. Don't worry the nanites will be naturally flushed out of the bloodstream."

"Well as much as I remain opposed to this abhorent project Mechano, I'm thankful that you've taken good care of my sister. I hope she will live in peace from now on. How much do we owe you?" Pious asked, sensitive to what such a medical operation can cost.

.

Edward shook his head.

"For her, nothing, just as I charged her old friend Sprunk nothing...just take good care of her...now I must depart...there is other business to attend to..."

Edward returned to the labs and Project Chimera...

Nighthunter's Basement Bedrooms

Alicia was getting dressed downstairs in the bedroom levels of the Nighthunter's basement. She had a laptop open next to her vanity mirror which was busy running a satellite trace on a suburban address. She held her hair up with both hands, a holding pin balanced between her lips. Multitasking was something she was used to but something about the woman in the mirror was so captivating, her attention kept getting drawn back to it. She was so youthful and so slender; perfect skin, beautiful hair and her eyes, they seemed so tranquil, like the reflection of a soul at peace. Who was this woman, Alicia thought, doubting her worthiness of such a flawless virgin body. The laptop bleeped, an arrow pointed to the Costa Mesa suburban settlements in Orange County, California. "Gotchya" she muttered, eyes trained on the 'get directions' button.

.

Suraya Rania Mohammad Khatoom... the Desert Princess... had just arrived at the Worn Cover. The book store above the Nighhunter's base. The store wouldn't open for another hour or so though. She was early.

She closed the front door again and walked to the registrer for her daily check. All was in order and she placed her keys back in her jeans. Holding a print-out of the new book arrivals she walked down to the kitchen to make some tea. Using her thermal abilities to speed it up a bit she was quickly done and with a fresh cup of mint-tea she walked through the vault.

Then she heard movement in the living quarters and walked in to check.

"Salaam alaykum, ms. Barzini-Hunter.", Suraya answered taking Alicia her hand. "I didn't know the reverend had a sister-in-law?!"

Suraya looked around and noticed the mirror and laptop...

"I see he offered you a place to stay here... I hope it works out a bit. It is barely done..."

"Accomodation here is beneath the five-star standards I'm used to but it's okay" said Alicia, with an attempt at a polite smile that probably came across as condescending. "While I'm being forced into community service, I imagine I'll have to join your little arcane team of monster hunters Suraya, so you'll be seeing alot more of me. Care to walk and talk? I'm heading out cross-country, courtesy of the PPD."

Suraya did her best to keep her smile up. But it was obvious she was not happy with the remark of the woman.

"We do a lot of good Alicia... In time you might like it. I have to open the store but I can walk and talk a bit. Lead the way and tell me all about you!"

A plain clothes officer entered the bookshop and met Alicia and Suraya by the bookstands, talking. "Sorry to interupt but the car's ready Ms Barzini" he said.

"Okay I'll be right out" said Pistol. "Suraya, its been nice meeting you and quite honestly, I look forward to working with you and the others."

Without so much as a wave goodbye, Alicia was lead out of the shop and into a black SUV. The motocade rolled through Steel Canyon and Independence Port before pulling into Kings Row to connect with Skyway City for the airport. While in the Fool's Gold district of the Row, movement around the Crowne Memorial Hall attracted Pistol's attention. The Humanity First versus Mechano conflict looked well on its way. Alicia's passenger seat windows wound back up and the vehicle wheels rolled on by, disappearing into the distance.

Later that day, in the California surburbs of Costa Mesa...

The motocade of black suburban vehicles rolled up at the home of an up and coming singing artist. Alicia was escorted out of her seat and up the walkway. A police officer in a smart black suit and dark sunglasses raised his hands and rasped his knuckles against the wooden door. Patiently, they waited.

Something turned deep inside Alicia's bowels and she soon realised it was a mixture of fear, guilt and anxiety, masked by a sense of pride, pride in the two beautiful people stood before her. "Antonio... Silvia" she stammered. "I don't know how to say this but, I'm Alicia Barzini... I'm your biological mother."

Alicia suddenly felt vulnerable, her deepest secret now spoken out loud. She clung on to the sense of relief and sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry. I neglected you, I know that now, but... Oh, what you must think of me..." she trailed, choking on her emotions. "Can I... can I come in?"

Following the foiled attack, it was with a reasonable amount of trepidation that Alicia Barzini crossed the threshold into the roomy California home. Once inside, she looked around and noticed the majority of content belonged to the boy, remnants of a smart kid growing up in Texas, an active family that had nothing to do with Silvia. The young girl's imprint on the place was nothing more than a picture of her with her father, Tyrone Gar and a few token awards from her career.

"Nice place you got here" said Pistol, trying to break the ice. "Fluffy sofa, pine furnishings; very homely," she complimented, nervously clearing her throat. She stood there in the middle of the room, gingerly awaiting an invitation to sit, drink, or whatever. "Well, I take it you're not my Antonio?" she asked the more relaxed of the two kids, slightly ashamed that she couldn't tell apart a stranger to her estranged son.

"I'll take a glass of water Dak" said Pistol, eyeing the boy with daring inquisition. "But before you go to get it, mind if I ask how old you are? I mean, I'm hardly twenty-nine and Silvia's father and I were, quite regrettably, together when I was fourteen... My daughter's only fifteen, you know that right?" she said, finding herself becoming maternal and protective, though she knew speaking against Dak was at the risk of upsetting him and the very girl she came to reconcile with. "No offence meant of course, I'm just asking," she added, with a forced smile to try and lighten the mood.

"Sorry to hear that," said Pistol, still standing. It dawned on her just how much of her daughter's life she'd missed. "Gosh, there’s so much about you I'd like to know, and I'm sure likewise you have lots of questions for me. You know, I've done so much wrong in this world out of the bitterness of loosing you Silvia, at one point Vanguard had me on their most wanted list and had the Priest chase me half way across the multiverse. There's a realm called Virtue where I first met you and your brother, oh you looked so beautiful I wanted you all for myself, but it all fell apart. I ended up dead in the end... but even the reapers couldn't handle me Silvia, I was determined to find you, and now here I am, a lifetime goal fulfilled." She beamed down at her daughter, bathed in the rich California sunshine dancing through the windows. She noticed all the feline attributes and recollected something about Tyrone being a descendant of the Egyptian goddess Bast. The swishing tail, the soft fur, the big beady eyes, it reminded her of why she once fell in love with the tiger-like boy now called Tyger. "You look so much like your father" said Pistol. "Mind if I sit down? I'd like to stay a while and answer anything you want to ask."