Restoring the Timeline

Cleaning Up the Badica House

Rose expected to be sidelined after the attack so was pleasantly surprised when Art suggested she see how 'clean-up' is done. Seeing the other guardians shock he voiced her involvement and pivotal role in the attack. As if that wasn't enough, he suggested that at the very least, watching how this was done could be considered part of her qualifier. It had not taken long for the team to sweep through and note the amount of strigoi, briefly noting turned guardians. Rose said which she thought were previously Moroi and who she thought had been human and each pointed out their kills and order.

"So you mean to say that you have the most kills here" one guardian questioned incredulously, doubting that a novice could possibly have more kills than the legendary Guardian Schoenberg.

Art spoke in her defence before she could respond. "Rose was greatly underestimated by every strigoi except those I fought. And remember that if not for her, the scene you are witnessing now would have been very different. You would be attending a massacre rather than an attack".

"Why did you flinch Rose" the female guardian, Tamara, asked. Tamara had felt a slight pang at the thought of it being a massacre. Art had been her mentor and she still calls him for advice.

"Something a strigoi that Guardian Schoenberg was engaged with said". All eyes ordering further explanation. "After Guardian Belikov," she made sure to use titles since she was still technically being assessed, "kicked one of them to me, he impaled himself on my stake but the position was off. As I staked him with my second stake, he was surprised and said that it was meant to be a massacre" she finished looking down. She quickly defended herself before they criticized her. "I didn't say anything because I wasn't even sure I heard correctly. Even if I had, why would anyone believe me" she finished disheartened.

"Given you and Guardian Belikov were not originally due to arrive until a few days from now, I believe it truly would have been without you here" Art soothed. "Your warning allowed us to keep the Moroi safe and get ourselves armed before they attacked. Thanks to you, we all made it out safely with only minor injuries. If not for you, none of us would have made it." Even his fellow guardians agreed. However displeased they were at being ordered around and scolded by the novice, they couldn't fault that she had taken charge, and that the result was them all safe. All preliminary written portions now complete, they began to drag the bodies of the strigoi outside. But Rose had an idea. 

"What about taking photos of them" she questioned. It seemed an obvious thing to her but looking at everyone else's faces she obviously had to explain further. "At least one was a former human, three former guardians and a possible Moroi" she said, pointing to each in turn. "What if there is a missing person report for the human? She seemed recently turned."

Everyone was still at a loss to where she was going with this. Art spoke what they were all likely thinking. "We cannot get involved with human authorities Rose" he spoke cautiously, not wanting to completely trample her idea. "It would raise too many questions we cannot answer".

"You said there are humans who know about us, Alchemists" Rose continued, looking to Art. He nodded, still not following her thought. "Couldn't we take photos and send it to them? They could look at possible missing person reports and if they find a match, create a story to close the case. It would provide closure for the family and is then one less case they need to investigate?" Genius. Alchemists question them whenever a human goes missing, in case Moroi snack on the wrong person. "Maybe, if we could create a database of dead strigoi, they can find surveillance footage to follow. Perhaps we can get leads on possible strigoi locations, especially if this was not an isolated incident. I mean if strigoi are gathering, there may be a leader or a common objective. Obviously they are not the single-minded solitary creatures they were in the past because this is not the first time I've seen a group of them working together".