As Shinso opened the large stone doors of Mother Nature's cathedral, his stomach bubbled and churned. After learning everything about Catherine and Carter's motives, he felt a pit form that he couldn't get rid of so easily. In the evening light of the crimson moon barely peeking over the trees barely passed through the stained glass window behind the altar.
The archbishop with long silver hair kneeled behind the altar, her head hung low in devout, inscrutable prayer. There was a small group of civilians and patrons scattered throughout the pews, also in silent prayer. Shinso slowly stepped down the aisle, his boots making contact with the stone floor and sending silent echoes up the mottled, stone surface of the cathedral. Hanging from the ceiling was a large 'forest' of foliage and colorful, flowered vines.
As he moved, some lifted their heads to look at him, grumbling under breaths in annoyance. Others remained silent, unwavering in their devout ritual.
"Archbishop." Shinso approached the woman and stood beside her, gazing up at the stained glass portrait of the energetic woman adorned with vines and flowers.
She remained silent for a few more moments before opening her eyes, gazing up at Shinso. She stood up and turned to face him, nodding her head.
"Yes, Mr. Shinso?"
"I need a team," he didn't waste any time, immediately stepping above the portion of the floor that opened from beneath him.
The archbishop arched an eyebrow, a glimmer of curiosity and faint worry crossing her expression. "Why?"
Shinso didn't respond as the floor slowly separated, revealing the dimly-lit staircase that descended below the cathedral. He descended down the staircase and stepped into the light.
"Shinso? I thought I told you to go back to your apartment." Humphrey was situated in a nearby chair, nosedeep in a volume regarding botany and plant anatomy.
On the operating table to the right of him sat the corpse of Stanton Ralph—the man Ayumi and Shinso had previously investigated without permission. His chest had been sliced open down to his genitals, and a surgical team was closely investigating his insides for any traces or a plausible reason why he had perished.
"I found them." Shinso dove into his pocket, taking out the photos of the two figures that resembled Catherine and Carter. The information he had gathered from Aizawa at the bar told him that Isaiah was able to shapeshift, possibly taking the form of the duo to commit crimes under their name. While Isaiah is technically more at fault, Catherine and Carter were still planning a murder.
Humphrey's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the surgical team splayed around the operating table. After a sharp whistle that rang throughout the room, the group immediately left the corpse, disappearing into rooms scattered around the underground chamber.
"How?" Humphrey stood up from his chair, approaching Shinso.
Shinso felt his breath catch in his throat. If he had revealed his relations with Catherine and Carter, he could get outed for relations with a criminal, maybe even imprisoned. He took a step back, his body now trembling.
"That's not important, all we need to do is stop them."
Soon enough, a team of ten Pollinators had been gathered, all carrying small handguns. One of them carried an object that looked like a mixture of a battery and a power generator, its mechanical, metallic hull glistening dimly in the light. A small, flashing green light was embedded deep within the box, flickering every so often.
Shinso wanted to ask about its purpose, but he suppressed his curiosity to focus on the task at hand. He took a deep breath and turned back to the staircase.
"Allow me to show you the way."
Shinso and the small team ascended to the cathedral building and walked out the door. Now, the crimson moon had permeated the evergreen trees, shining as a full, iridescent crimson sphere in the ink-black sky. The sky overhead was clear, not a drop of snow falling onto the street or sidewalk.
"Do you have a fast way to get there?" Shinso had remembered the distance to Catherine and Carter's place from the cathedral—surely thirty minutes from where they stood. In that time, who knows what two seasoned criminals could accomplish!
"Carraiges," Humphrey pointed to a small group of carriages nestled beside the cathedral, all black and dark green in color.
"You, stick with me."
Humphrey snagged Shinso's collar, pulling him into the carriage beside him. The interior was decked in a similar scheme as the clergyman's robes adorned by some members of the Pollinators. What took Shinso aback the most was the lack of horses leading the carriages.
"There's no horses, how will we move then?" He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing. Humphrey's lips twitched up a little as he took a hold of the steering wheel, pulling it outward towards his bulky chest. At this moment, the wheels beneath the carriage burst into motion, gradually taking speed as they began to move forward.
"We'd like to keep this private, but our carriages are a tad bit more advanced than the public ones—not needing horsepower, in a literal sense...now..."
Humphrey looked forward out the central window, which showed the entire street from side to side. "Where to?"
Shinso scooted in his seat, making his way next to Humphrey. His hands slowly clasped around the wooden steering wheel, taking the dark-skinned man aback. "What are you doing?"
Shinso didn't reply for a few moments, his bushy brows furrowing in unwavering focus. "I figured I'd lead the way, more efficient than spitting out orders like some damn captain."
He cranked the wheel to a sharp right, nearly tipping over the carriage from the abruptness of the move. Humphrey let out a low 'oomph' as his head was sent against the window, his cheek squished on the now fogged-up glass.
"Maybe take some coachmen lessons first!" He hissed, his face now slightly pale.
"I don't think we have time for that," Shinso replied, slamming his foot down onto the myriad of controls located near the floor. Although he didn't know what they did, his intuition told him he'd learn rather quickly. As he pressed one of the larger buttons, the floor beneath the carriage suddenly parted, permitting a torrent of snow to gush upwards from the wind of the carriage, splatting against Shinso and Humphrey's faces.
"Why the hell ...i-is this a feature?" Shinso choked, his eyes clenched closed as his foot fumbled and shook, trying in vain to find the button to close it again. Humphrey reacted quickly, slamming his boot back on the button, closing the floor beneath them.
"How about I drive this thing again," Humphrey grabbed the steering wheel, pulling it in his direction. The wheel itself was a lever, allowing for easy locomotion and cooperation between the two passengers inside the carriage.
"Sharp right!" Shinso called out again, causing Humphrey to twist the wheel again and shift it in another direction. The carriage jerked and groaned again as it rounded another corner. Outside, the buildings and pedestrians appeared like blurs.
"I have to ask though, why did you and Ayumi run off and go to that murder scene without permission?" Humphrey's question sliced through the air like a blade.
Shinso jolted in his seat, turning back to Humphrey with a shaky sigh. The things Ayumi had told him, and the way the duo had previously kindled from the experience caused his face to heat up. Revealing such things would make him bury himself in shame and embarrassment.
"W-we were eager for adventure, that's all..."
"Really?" He seemed taken aback, arching an eyebrow.
Shinso swallowed his spit and nodded his head, the pale of his cheeks slowly burning crimson. "We were reckless, so we took the opportunity to go there ...a-and ...whatvever."
Humphrey extended his left hand and placed it on Shinso's shoulder, giving it a sharp squeeze. His gaze never left the road in front of him, but Shinso saw his deep eyes bubble over in an almost recollective sense.
"You're a lot like me, y'know. I always yearned for adventure, but ...it didn't end well. It cost me my platoon."
Shinso felt the grip on his shoulder tighten even more, bordering on pain. Humphrey's hand also began to tremble. "I've seen enough death in my life, the last thing I want is to be unable to protect those I care about..."
For once, Humphrey looked back at Shinso, his small smile almost invisible in the dim light of the crimson moon.
"Even you and Ayumi. I may not have known you for the longest time, but you're like ...t-the only teenagers to want to join us, that shows me you have more guts than anyone else I've known."
At this point, Shinso's cheeks were flushed deeply, his face almost entirely crimson colored. He looked away, huffing silently, attempting to play off his flustered appearance as annoyance.
"T-thanks ...I guess."
At this moment, his eyes shot open as he recognized the street, quickly commanding the carriage to an abrupt halt.
"We're here," Shinso announced, pushing open the carriage door and stepping out onto the snow-covered sidewalk.
He looked back at Humphrey and the rest of the platoon, furrowing his brows. "Stay on guard, although I've never seen them headon, this duo may be extremely dangerous."
Shinso looked back to the extravagant house, clearing his throat and speaking up, almost shouting. "Catherine and Carter, I recommend coming out unarmed, it's for the best."
"What are you doing?" Humphrey hissed, stepping next to Shinso. "We don't treat them like they want to come out, from what I've learned, criminals are too smart to anticipate something like this."
Humphrey made a hand gesture, commanding a small portion of the platoon to the front door, one of them had the mechanical device in their hands.
"You got something to cover your mouth?" Humphrey asked, taking out a small mask from his pocket. Shinso shook his head, gazing at the device.
"What's that do?"
"You'll see soon enough," Humphrey stepped towards the door beside the platoon, picking up the generator-like device. His other hand slowly wrapped around the doorknob, trembling slightly.
"Step back."
At this moment, Humphrey opened the lid of the device, and a torrent of pinkish smoke poured from the object. He quickly opened the door and tossed the device into the house, taking a deep slow breath. The tension in the air was so thick Shinso silently swore he would slice it with a sword. From within the house, Shinso heard a sound that was a mixture of something writhing and growing, alongside the hissing of a chemical spewing into the air.
Through the windows, Shinso saw the purplish smoke quickly fill the kitchen and dining room in its entirety. After about two minutes, Humphrey opened the door wide enough for the entire platoon to enter.
"Move in and search the house."
He then looked towards Shinso, nodding his head. "Let's move."