Father Joseph awoke groggily to the sound of beeping medical equipment.

  His senses slowly returned, the slight stinging from the IV drip in his arm, the antiseptic smell of the hospital room, tenderness in his chest, and a metallic dry taste in his mouth.

  The room slowly came into focus, and he saw Father Abel sitting in a chair next to his bed, smiling at him.

  "Welcome back to the land of the living, Joseph," said Father Abel.

  Memories flashed in Father Joseph's mind:

  The brutal school shootout, the demolition of the gothic buildings in favor of a modernist design, the relaxation of the uniform policy, and finally, the icy blue eyes of a 13-year-old boy whom he had sacrificed to the fire of moral outrage instead of protecting.

  "You should have let me die," he croaked bitterly.

  "Now that's one thing I've never heard someone who survived 3 bullets to the chest say," chuckled Father Abel.

  Father Joseph tired to sit up, but struggled as his torso felt like jelly.

  "Easy there, they had to pull out 3 bullets from your lungs and ribcage," said Father Abel, gently pushing him back down.

  "I should have died. I went into that shootout as a penance for what I did to young Zakhrov back then," sighed Father Joseph.

  Father Abel raised an eyebrow.

  "Oh, so you actually remember that?" he asked.

  "Remember it? Those blue eyes have haunted me ever since St. Ignatius started getting converted into a public charter school! It was like the entire ethos of order and discipline left with him," said Father Joseph, with a bitter laugh.

  "Well, how about you stop wallowing in self-pity, and accept the new chance that God has given you?" said Father Abel, his voice firm.

  "New chance?" asked Father Joseph.

  "Yes. St. Ignatius Academy has been rebuilt, under new private ownership, and we need our principal back," said Father Abel.

  The door to the hospital room opened, and a tall blond nurse walked in.

  "Ah, Father Joseph, you're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice warm and soothing.

  "Like Lazarus, I guess," said Father Joseph, a weak smile on his face.

  "Well, your vitals are stable, and your wounds have healed nicely. You'll need a few days of physiotherapy, but you should be able to walk out of here in a week," said the nurse, checking his IV drip.

  "Thank you, nurse," said Father Joseph, his voice hoarse.

  She smiled at him, and held a cup of water with a straw to his lips.

  He slurped the water, and nodded in thanks, as she left the room.

  ---

  Father Joseph stepped out of the black Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and took a deep breath, surveying the new campus with awe and disbelief.

  "Is this really the same place?" he thought, as he took in the high walls, the watchtowers, and the gothic buildings.

  The red mud had been replaced with lush lawns. The fountains shot jets of water into the air, and a team of sleekly intimidating campus security officers cantered around the campus walls on horseback, their black leather uniforms gleaming in the sunlight.

  "The school has been rebuilt, but we're not open yet. Our new benefactor is waiting for you to get the chapel consecrated and bless the campus, before we can open for admissions," said Father Abel gently, as he stood by the older man's side.

  Father Joseph said nothing, but slowly walked towards the main admin block.

  He opened the freshly varnished black rosewood door of the Principal's office, and stepped inside.

  The office was spacious, with a massive rosewood desk, a comfortable leather chair, and the black rosewood paneled walls were adorned with framed portraits of Catholic saints - St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Francis Xavier, St. Edmund Campion and St. Miguel Pro.

  Behind the desk was a massive portrait of the school's patron saint, St. Ignatius of Loyola. His slogan - Ad?Maiorem?Dei?Gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God) - was emblazoned in ornate black lettering just below the portrait.

  Father Joseph slowly ran his fingers over the desk, feeling the smooth surface of the polished wood.

  He sank to his knees, before the massive portrait of St. Ignatius.

  "Noble knight, leader of a brave array, lead us on, oh lead us on.

  We will fight neath thy sway, neath thy sway.

  What the foes gathered near, we'll not fear, we'll not fear.

  We'll not shun, we'll not quit, this, our noble career.

  We will stand ever true in faith to thee.

  True to God and faith to thee, true to thee.

  Lead us on gallantly, ever on valiantly, neath thy banner to fight for the Church and its right.

  All for God's own greater glory is our cry, battle cry.

  Not for gain, nor in vain is our fight in this life.

  But for God who is our King, all of our hearts to Him, we bring.

  Growing stronger and stronger as fighting lasts longer.

  And purer and purer to make Heaven surer with crosses and trials and many denials, we'll stop.

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  But to die true loyal to our King who reigns on high. Ignatius lead us on, till we die." he sang, as tears streamed down his face.

  After a minute, he stood up, and wiped his tears away.

  "All right. I'm ready Abel. Let's consecrate the chapel and bless the campus," he said, his eyes burning with a new fire.

  ---

  "Is this a chapel or a full-blown cathedral?" chuckled Bishop Xavier, as he surveyed the massive chapel that had been built in the center of the campus.

  Like the other buildings, it was a massive Gothic structure, with a pair of massive steepled spires, and a rose window above the main entrance.

  The interior was just as grand, with high vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows depicting the Stations of the Cross, and rows of rosewood pews.

  The altar was rosewood, and a carved crucifix of the same material hung above it, lit from behind by soft white OLED strips.

  "Whoever built this place sure knows his Gothic architecture," he mused, surveying the tall columns and its giant cross layout.

  He finally turned to Father Joseph and Father Abel.

  "All right. Everything seems to be in order. We'll consecrate the chapel, and then you can bless the campus. To whom is the chapel dedicated?" he asked.

  "To St. Miguel Pro. It seems fitting, since the campus has been rebuilt after a gang war," said Father Joseph.

  "And since you yourself managed to be saved after taking three bullets to the chest," added Bishop Xavier with a smile.

  He nodded to his aide, who stepped forward with an ornate box, containing the relic, and other items needed for the consecration.

  "All right, see you in the vestry," he said, as he walked towards the vestry.

  ---

  Raven parked her FBI SUV just outside the massive wall of St. Ignatius Academy, and stepped out.

  She crouched down and examined the slightly loose earth, paying no heed to it staining her oversized pants and hoodie.

  She dug carefully with her small hands, shifting the loose earth aside."Jackpot!" she crowed, as the sight of a decomposing face came into view, and the smell of decay hit her nostrils.

  She quickly pulled out her phone.

  "Senator Goldberg, call the press. I've found the bodies," she said, vibrating with glee.

  ---

  Father Joseph sat in the Principal's office. His head in his hands.

  Television crews had camped outside the campus, going crazy at the discovery of a mass grave just outside the campus walls.

  He lifted his head, powered on his computer, and opened the security camera logs.

  He watched the footage of the semi truck crashing through the main gate, and the thugs pouring out of it.

  The footage showed them in a firefight with Olga and the campus security officers, before they were captured, tied to Olga's saddle bow, and dragged around the campus.

  He watched as Olga executed them one by one, and the drones scooping up their bodies and dumping them into the pit.

  "I should be feeling outraged, but I can't help but feel a sense of catharsis and satisfaction," he thought, as he closed the security camera logs.

  He flicked open the intercom. "Abel, Catherine, can you come to my office please?" he said.

  The door opened, and Father Abel and Catherine walked in.

  "Have the two of you seen the security camera footage?" he asked.

  "We have," said Father Abel, his expression apprehensive.

  Father Joseph clenched his fists.

  "Those animals tried to break into our house! Our sanctuary, while it was still being built! I ask you both, would they have shown any mercy had they not been stopped?" he asked.

  "No. They came here with intent to kill," said Father Abel, his voice firm.

  "I agree with Father Abel," said Catherine.

  "Then we are all on the same page. Abel, get me a bullhorn. It's time we get rid of that circus outside our walls," said Father Joseph.

  ---

  Father Joseph stood at the top of the battlement above the main gate, a bullhorn in his hand.

  "Attention, members of the press! I am Father Joseph, the principal of St. Ignatius Academy! You have come here on an ill quest to find a scandal, but you will find none! The bodies you have found are the refuse of scum who launched a vicious and unprovoked attack on this campus when it was still being built!

  The security personnel acted with valor and courage. I implore you to leave and seek the truth, rather than sensationalism," he said, his voice booming through the bullhorn.

  Senator Monica Goldberg raised her own bullhorn:

  "Scum! He called them scum! These were human beings! They had lives! Families! Children! This is the curse of Gentrification! Even the men of the cloth have lost their compassion! Demolition! Revolution! Justice!" she shouted, her voice shrill and angry, as the media and crowd of spectators went into a frenzy.

  "That rhetoric sounds eerily familiar," thought Father Joseph grimly, as he watched the crowd grow more agitated.

  Stones and mud were soon being thrown futilely against the high walls.

  "Mr. Von Eisenhart, it appears that we are under siege. Prepare accordingly," said Father Joseph, as he stepped down from the battlement.

  "Yes, Father," replied Mr. Von Eisenhart, the head of campus security. He flicked open his radio.

  "Deploy spike strips! Electrify the fence! Activate anti-drone measures!" he barked into the radio.

  The thick wires that ran along the crenelations of the wall sparked and hummed with electricity.

  Spike strips sprang up from the driveway between the security booms and the main gate.

  The news camera drones that were buzzing around the campus seized and crashed to the ground as EMP generators and signal jammers in the watchtowers and steeples activated.

  With ominous thuds, a series of heavy bolts slid into place, reinforcing the main gate against potential ramming attacks - a countermeasure installed after the semi truck incident.

  ---

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I'll get right to the point. I'm done pandering to politicians and activists. The last time I did that, this school was overrun by animals," said Father Joseph, as he stood before the assembled faculty and staff in the main exam hall.

  "From now on, we will run this school with the same discipline and order that it was founded on. If any of you have a problem with that, you can leave now," he said, his voice firm and unwavering.

  The hall was silent, and nobody moved.

  Father Joseph relaxed slightly, and continued.

  "Now, I shall be releasing the security camera footage of the attack on the campus, and the subsequent actions taken by our security personnel. I expect you all to support them, and not cower in fear of the media," he said.

  Jennifer Walters, the head of the Humanities department, raised her hand.

  "Father Joseph, is that really required? From what I understand, the person who killed those thugs was a Sirius Software security officer, not one of our campus security personnel," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

  "Miss Walters, are you suggesting that we throw the woman who led the defense of this campus to the wolves?" asked Father Joseph, his voice cold and steely.

  "She dragged those men behind a horse like a barbarian from the Middle Ages!" protested Miss Walters, her voice rising in pitch.

  "And thanks to those barbarians in the Middle Ages defending the Roman Catholic Church, you can sit here and lecture rather than be turning tricks for some Sultan in his harem!" shot back Father Joseph, his voice rising in anger.

  "But -" Miss Walters began, but Father Joseph cut her off.

  "They rammed the gates with a semi truck! They had machine pistols, and they were ready to kill everyone in that video feed! Those ten that you see in the footage were the only ones who survived the crash of the truck, and instead of surrendering, they charged out, guns blazing!" he thundered, as Miss Walters shrank back in her seat.

  Father Joseph took a deep breath, and turned to Catherine.

  "Miss Cormac, I would like you to post this footage on our social media accounts, along with testimonials from the security personnel who were present during the attack. Let reason prevail over frenzy and theater," he said.

  Father Abel raised his hand.

  "Father Joseph, I would suggest that we use this incident as an admissions pitch. I'm sure there would be parents who would want their children to be educated in a school that has a zero-tolerance policy towards armed assault and criminals," he said.

  "An excellent point, Abel. Miss Cormac, come up with a strategy for that as well," said Father Joseph.

  Miss Walters finally found her voice again.

  "Father Joseph, I understand your pain from the previous incident, but I feel that you are crossing the line here. We cannot be seen to be endorsing summary execution without due process!" she said.

  Catherine stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the polished stone floor.

  She switched on the massive screen at the front of the hall to show the live security feed from outside the campus walls.

  The screen showed the mob of protesters, hurling stones at the walls, while others were spray-painting something on the walls.

  Police or any form of law enforcement were nowhere to be seen.

  "As a professor of history, Miss Walters, can you tell me if that looks like civilization where things like due process can work to you?" asked Catherine, as Miss Walters paled.

  "Make no mistake, I am not endorsing vigilantism, or summary execution. But what I can, and will defend, is the right of this school to protect its premises and the students entrusted to our care. And if our security needs to use lethal force to do that, then so be it!" said Father Joseph, his tone final.