With the M9 pressed to her forehead, Lucy remained utterly calm. Her body structure had already mutated; she could manipulate the cells within her body at will. Maintaining a human form was merely a habit.
In practical terms, Russell could pull the trigger and blow her head apart, and she could rapidly heal and "revive."
"Officer Russell, I mean no harm. I only want to communicate with you in the most efficient way possible. We are both anomalies; perhaps we can find common ground."
As Lucy spoke, the M9 automatically disassembled, its components falling to the floor. "And this gun too. You know it cannot destroy me."
"We're not close enough for me to bare my soul to you. If you want to communicate with me, you can only do so in writing or verbally."
Russell picked up the parts from the floor and swiftly reassembled the M9 with both hands. Then he enchanted it with the Left Hand of the Divine Throne, transforming it into an oversized shotgun, and pressed it to Lucy's head again.
"What about this one? Can it kill you?"
"..."
Lucy was struck speechless. Holy light energy was like a gateway opening onto a new world before her. Following the source of that energy, she looked toward Russell's left hand and saw the golden Cross stigmata there.
Ordinary people could not see it, but she could.
Lucy tried to replicate the energy of the holy light. Electric Arc, heat, and other phenomena flickered across her palm in succession, but she ultimately failed. Frowning, she asked, "What is this? Does God really exist?"
"He does. The Professor Norman you're looking for is God."
Russell answered truthfully. "Due to certain misunderstandings, the old man closed Heaven's gates. It's impossible for you to find him."
"Officer Russell, my