Everyone was shocked and in the midst of processing what the h.e.l.l had just happened. Sprawled out in front of them was most definitely a person - hopefully still living and breathing. It was a long while before someone and the presence of mind to speak.

"HOLY s.h.i.+T YOU GUYS IT'S AN ALIEN! YOU GUYS! AN ALIEN! ALIEN! IT'S… IT'S… HOLY f.u.c.kING s.h.i.+T! IT'S f.u.c.kING ET!" Issei roared into the night. He quickly pinched and slapped himself, but it was most certainly not a dream.

"Don't be silly, Issei! Aliens don't exist!" Asia squealed in fright. Her voice faltered slightly as she considered the implications and the fact that a s.p.a.ce traveler might have just landed in front of her. As a tsunami of thoughts washed through her mind, she became less and less certain of the origin of the man.

"Seriously? Have you seen us? Have you heard the stories?" Issei deadpanned. There was no doubt that she had seen some strange things in her life, more so when she became a Devil. As she thought on his words, she noted that when she found out she had the power of Twilight Healing, it wasn't something that made her question her worldview or the nature of coexistence of multiple races at large - in fact, she just went with the flow. Should this really be any different? Besides, there was already doc.u.mented phenomenon on Earth that couldn't be explained such as the vigilantes.

"No, I'm highly doubtful that he's an alien. I believe he's a human. I can't sense any Demonic or Angelic Power, and considering how those two Fallen Angels reacted, he's probably not one of them," Rias said before lowering the barrier.

"Hey… hey, buddy? You alright?" Issei asked tentatively. The man made no motion to move. Issei threw a pebble at him, regretting it as soon as he did. Koneko gave him a brutal punch before sniffing the air.

"Don't antagonize him, Issei," Akeno said, her voice unusually irritable.

"Ouch! That hurt, Koneko! Besides, I dunno if he's even alive," Issei said, rubbing his arm.

"He is," Koneko said, listening intently. "Rias is right. Not a Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel. Human."

"Can you tell us anything else, Koneko?" Rias asked.

"Some kind of burning smell. Like welding fumes," Koneko said. "Another kind as well. Like after Issei jerks off, but mixed in with a bunch of other, sweeter smells."

"WHAT?! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SMELLS LIKE!?" Issei asked, horrified.

"Enhanced senses, perv," she sighed.

"Issei, enough. This isn't the time to joke," Rias barked.

"Right. My bad," Issei said, comically crying.

"What do you mean sweeter smells?" Akeno asked.

"Just how it smells. Dunno what it is. Probably people or candy," Koneko said.

Finally, Rias and Akeno approached the man. Even as they leaned down, he made no movement. With a nod at Akeno, Rias gently flipped on his back.

"He's quite handsome as well," Akeno said, surprising herself with the comment as much as the others. The circ.u.mstances were far too odd to be commenting on his looks, she thought.

He had jet black hair that fell gently around his head, covered in dust and debris from the impact. As Rias brushed some of it away, she noted the stark white streaks of hair that ran through either side of his hair. Although he appeared to be their age, he had a handsome and rugged face. Above and below his left eye was a long scar that right from just below his hairline, jumping across the eye and running almost perpendicular to his lips. His clothes were simple; he wore black shoes with black socks, black jeans with a black belt, and a fitting black s.h.i.+rt. Around his neck, Rias noted a silver chain; reaching slightly into his s.h.i.+rt, she pulled out what it was connected to - a strikingly black jewel set in a black casing. The most intriguing garment that he wore, however, was a green ring on his right ring finger - with what appeared to be a lantern imprinted on it.

Rias leaned down and pressed her head against his chest, making out the faintest rhythm from his heartbeat. She listened longer than usual, confirming there was indeed just a single heartbeat. Satisfied he was human, she turned her eyes back to his green ring.

"Do you think that's where the glow was coming from? Akeno asked.

"I believe so, but it was so much brighter when he was coming down. Could it really come from this thing? I mean… it's pretty small," Rias said. The others were silent; this was far to foreign to them. After a long pause, Rias moved to touch the ring and immediately regretted it. In an instant, the ring burst into life. Rias and Akeno jumped back in shock, their powers surging forward as they readied to attack.

"What the h.e.l.l is happening?" Akeno asked in shock.

"I don't know," Rias replied, gulping.

'c.r.a.p. That was really stupid of me,' she admonished herself.

"Should… should we attack him now?" Issei asked.

"Hold on," Rias instructed them. She could tell everyone was on edge.

The ring made no impression to attack them. It simply flowed a bright green, pulsing slightly every few seconds. After about 30 seconds, it began to fade with every pulse and a minute later, was still again. Rias and Akeno gingerly approached the man again, deliberating on how to proceed.

"Rias - we're positive he's not a Devil?" Kiba asked wondrously, lowering his sword just a bit.

"I can say without a doubt he isn't one of us, or from any of the Three Factions. He seems… I don't know, he seems human," Rias said as she touched his face gently, brus.h.i.+ng some more debris off. As she did so, she felt her heart skip a beat - he was certainly handsome. As her eyes flitted up, she saw that Akeno had thought the same thing, her lips slightly parted as she stared at him in wonder.

"There's no way in h.e.l.l a human could've survived a fall like that! I mean… could WE survive a fall like that?!" Issei asked, voice hoa.r.s.e.

"I doubt it. Pretty sure we'd splat," Akeno answered. Like Rias did earlier, she lowered her head to his chest, listening intently for a heartbeat. It had picked up some strength from when Rias heard it.

"Do you think he's one of those vigilantes?" Xenovia asked.

"Doubtful. None of them are from s.p.a.ce," Rias said.

"That we know of," Issei said.

"We're going off of what we do know," she said. "And what we know is this - he's still alive. We need to get him back to the ORC and heal him, quickly. We can start getting some answers then," Rias said, finally getting to her feet. Akeno followed and the two looked at each other, something unsaid going between them. Akeno finally nodded in agreement; this would be better handled in private.

"Do you think we should? He could be dangerous. I mean, he did just destroy the house," Xenovia said, nodding towards the wreck.

"I'm with Xenovia. I think we should deal with this here, Madame President. It might not be a good idea to bring him to the ORC without figuring out what his deal is," Kiba said.

"I think we'll be fine. Whoever he is, he's certainly injured - barely even looks alive. If he tries anything, we'll be able to deal with him quickly," Akeno said.

"Why don't we just heal him here, if he needs urgent attention?" Asia asked, her voice tinted with worry. At core, she was a gentle and kind soul, always wanting to help someone, no matter how insane the circ.u.mstance. That would not change now; she would heal him to the best of her ability.

"No, we can't do this in public. I don't want any interruptions. We need to handle this on our own turf in a safe s.p.a.ce. Kiba, Issei, could you carry him? Akeno and I will lead, just in case," Rias said. The tow nodded and quickly, but gently, got him up. Slinging either arm over their shoulders, they finally noted how tall he was. The stranger stood 6'4, making for an awkward situation as they ended up dragging him slightly.

"This guys a giant!" Issei grumbled.

"Very tall indeed," Xeonvia noted as she eyed his figure. Like Rias and Akeno before, she felt her heart skip a beat although she couldn't quite identify why.

"Woah," Gasper said, slightly wide-eyed as he compared his own height to the man, undoubtedly the tallest one there.

They had hardly made much progress down the hill when Rias's worry about being discovered bore fruit. Trouble soon reared in the form of the Fallen Angels from before. They looked on in disbelief, coupled with wonder and fear.

"Who the h.e.l.l is this guy?" the man asked.

"That is none of your business," Rias answered coldly. Akeno stepped by her side, prepared to deal with what was about to happen.

"There's no chance a human could've survived a fall like that," the woman whispered to her friend. He gave her a malicious grin in response before turning his attention to the Devils. His hand flew to his back as he quickly drew his crossbow and pointed it at the Devils. A bolt of white light appeared in the center of it, ready to be fired at a moments notice. As he stared them down the barrel of his weapon, Rias and Akeno simply held their hands up.

"We can take him off your hands, Lady Gremory," the man told Rias.

"No. We found him, we'll nurse him," Rias replied, her voice authoritative. "Unless you want to p.i.s.s off Azazel or I any further, I suggest you turn tail and run."

"Then I'm afraid we're at an impa.s.se. We can't let something like this just slip away," the woman said as light began to converge in her hands. Both were about to attack when suddenly, two shots of green light ripped towards them. The light was perfectly aimed; it neatly pa.s.sed Akeno and Rias, not even close to touching them; and soon hit the Fallen Angels in the forehead. The world went still and time stopped for a moment. It seemed to be forever until the Fallen Angels fell on their faces, dead. It was over so quickly, the two were still smiling; they had no time to register what happened.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Gasper yelled out in fright. Everyone turned to look at the man, who suddenly had one eye open, his breathing raspy as he became aware of his surroundings. He deftly shot back from Issei and Kiba, but quickly fell to a knee, his legs unable to support his entire weight. He looked around, his breathing hard and ragged before finally, he said his first words since his crash landing.

"What… where… where am I?" he asked softly, struggling to get the words out. With great effort, he lifted his head and saw the Devils in front of him in detail for the first time. He saw the fear in their face, although he couldn't think of why that'd be. With a pained grunt, he got to his feet, hunching over a bit as his legs began to shake. "Who… are you?"

"We just want to help you. You're seriously injured," Rias said, finally coming to her senses. She moved forward and stood between him and her peerage, Akeno at her side. Akeno threw her hand at the others, letting them know not to interfere. She and Rias stared intently at the man, surprised that he was able to stand on his recognizance after his fall. Even with the situation being what it was, they couldn't help but be impressed by his presence, stark and overwhelming.

"Injured?" he asked, looking down. He reached under his s.h.i.+rt and rubbed a bit; withdrawing he saw how b.l.o.o.d.y his hand was. "G.o.d f.u.c.king… dammit."

"You need help," Rias said again, noting the copious amount of blood.

"Where… where….?" he inquired.

"You're in j.a.pan," Akeno answered.

"j.a.pan… j.a.pan. Earth," he whispered, faltering as he s.h.i.+fted a bit.

"Yeah… Earth," Rias affirmed.

"Help, you said?" he asked, his eyes pa.s.sing over them. Rias and Akeno noted that he had begun to blink them rapidly, as though struggling to keep them open.

"Yes. We're going to get you healed. I promise you'll be safe," Rias replied. He was silent for a while longer before he finally nodded.

"I… thank you," he said, before finally falling forward and collapsing again. Rias and Akeno paused for a second to make sure he was out before looking back to Kiba and Issei. The two rushed forward and picked him up again.

"We need to hurry. Now," Rias ordered, her voice harder. She quickly opened a Magic Circle to the ORC that the others stepped through. She and Akeno stayed behind a few seconds longer, their eyes on the bodies of the Fallen Angels. Worry and fear set in their heart as they considered what just happened. With a flourish of her hand, Akeno quickly destroyed the bodies before escorting Rias back.

-o-

As Rias and Akeno got to the ORC, they saw that Issei and Kiba had laid him down on a couch and sat across from him, their eyes peeled. Asia sat on the table between the couches, prepping her Twilight Healing. Rias and Akeno sat on either side of the man, their gaze fixed intently upon him.

"Could you guys take his s.h.i.+rt off? I need to see what kind of damage he has and heal it quickly before it gets worse," Asia said, gulping. Although she was used to being in dangerous situations by now, none had been as bizarre as this one. Akeno quickly acquiesced, causing Issei and Kiba to sweat drop a bit. Rias gingerly sat him up, supporting his weight from behind while Akeno reached for the hem of his s.h.i.+rt and slowly pulled it off. She heard a loud gasp from Rias and Asia, the first to see what the damage was. As she threw the s.h.i.+rt to the side, she was just as surprised.

The man looked as though he had suffered grievous injuries. He was bruised and beaten all over, with large purple, black, and blue splotches spread around his body. Most seemed fresh; Rias deduced that they were suffered during his crash landing. Embedded in the bruises were small, red, and b.l.o.o.d.y cuts, likely from the debris; but none seemed fatal. Coupled with these, however, were distinctive marks - larger, older, and more defined - scars that he had suffered and sustained over time.

Akeno noted a particular scar across his front - a ma.s.sive gash that started from the tip of the right shoulder and cut across diagonally, stretching to his left hip. As she traced it, she noted smaller, level, and closely grouped scars across his shoulder. As she scanned his chest once more, she noted several more scars but these were more or less common amongst all the Devils - battle wounds that would be sustained by any that spent time fighting. She noted another one along the right side of his neck and shoulder, but the most distinctive mark was the most horrifying. On his right pectoral, burned within a jagged scar and protruding slightly was what appeared to be a brand of a bird.

Rias and Akeno traded a look of surprise at the result of the damage - mostly shocked that he was still alive. They had little doubt that such a fall would've not only killed them but left them little more than goo on the ground, fated to be mopped up. As Asia saw the damage, she went chalk white; as did Gasper, who had trouble around these sort of things. Koneko and Xenovia were surprised, while Issei and Kiba remained on edge, wondering what was in store for them when he woke up.

"Some of these are from battle," Akeno finally spoke, tracing the long scar that raged across his torso. She was sure it was from a sword, it was so jagged she couldn't conclude it definitively. She wondered if Asia would be able to remove the scar, or at least lessen its appearance to some extent. Moving behind, Akeno sighed sadly; his back was in worse condition than his front. The most notable thing was that he had a tattoo across his upper back.

Rias and Akeno looked at each other, surprised that he was still alive. They had no doubt that a fall like that would not only kill them (a.s.suming they couldn't use their wings and fell from the heavens) but leave them as little more than goo on the ground, fated to be mopped up. As Asia saw the damage, she went chalk white, as did Gasper who had trouble around blood. Koneko and Xenovia looked on in surprise; this was certainly enough to break through their stoic demeanors - while Issei and Kiba exchanged nervous glances with each other, wondering what they were in store for when he woke up. They soon began discussing with each other the scope of the damage.

"Some of these are from battle," Akeno whispered as she traced the long scar that ranged diagonally all across his torso. She was sure that it was a sword, but it was so jagged that it was hard to tell. She wondered (and indeed hoped) that Asia would be able to remove the scar, if not lessen its appearance to some extent. Akeno moved to sit with Rias and her eyes yet again shot open in surprise; his back was in worse condition than his front. The first thing that she noted, however, was the tattoo that was written across his upper back.

"Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat," Rias read, her fingers gently gliding underneath the letters.

"Fortune favors the bold," Akeno translated softly.

"He's definitely bold," Issei lamented.

"Akeno, some of these marks - torture?" Rias asked. Akeno nodded; the grouping and gaining were too perfect to be anything else. These scars were smaller, like the ones up front; but numerous and carefully inscribed to inflict maximum pain. Like in front, there was one particularly notable set of scars - but these seemed to be much worse. Stretching from the tip of either shoulder to the end of either hip were two ma.s.sive scars in an 'X' shape. The tattoo ran jagged across these, obviously filled in after the scars.

"This dude's been through h.e.l.l," Koneko noted sadly. Still having him propped up by Rias, Asia held her hands over his chest and began to heal what she could. The recent bruises and cuts had begun to clear up quickly and nicely; no professional would note anything wrong besides the scarring. Asia saw there was almost no sigh of internal bleeding, which surprised her greatly. In fact, it seemed as though beyond the surface wounds, he was as normal as one could be in this situation. To her surprise and sadness, however, the scarring refused to go away. The big gash, the small cuts, the brand - all stayed as they were. Suddenly, Asia gasped in shock.

"What is it?" Akeno asked, quickly moving to her side. She gasped as well as she saw what Asia noticed.

"What is it?" Rias asked nervously. She wanted to look but didn't want to let him fall either.

"He has a brand on his pec and… well, it's glowing," Akeno gulped. The others sprang up, wondering if it was a sign that he would soon attack. Akeno stopped them, however, and continued to observe, giving him the benefit of the doubt. After a short while, the brand stopped glowing.

"It's stopped," she confirmed. The others took their seats, breathing heavy sighs of relief.

"Asia, why won't the scarring heal?" Rias asked in interest as Asia continued her work on his back.

"I-I can't say for certain. It should, but it just isn't. Whatever made these must be… I don't know," Asia said nervously. The others continued to stare intensely as Asia finally wound down, having healed what she could to the best of her ability.

"f.u.c.k, what the h.e.l.l is this guy made of? Definitely human, but there's no way he could've survived that! he should've been a puddle on the ground!" Issei exclaimed.

"We'll have to wait for him to wake up," Rias concluded. "You guys don't have to stick around, though. I'm sure Akeno and I will be able to handle it."

"No chance, Rias. I can't just leave like this!" Issei exclaimed.

"Nor can I," Xenovia said. "But are you sure this is the best way to approach this?"

"I know that all of you are concerned, but I don't think that he's an enemy. For one, he could've killed Akeno and I when he killed the Fallen Angels, but he avoided us entirely. Two, he made an effort to talk to us instead of just running away. For whatever reason, he trusted us to help him. I don't know what that says about him, but it doesn't say enemy; nor does it say that we anything to be afraid of. All that said, however, be ready - just in case," Rias said.

-o-

Akeno sat with his head in her lap, gently stroking his hair while Rias sat next to her, joining once in a while. As they stroked it, they both felt inexplicably drawn to him - whether it was because of how he handled the Fallen Angels, the fact that he appeared to be some sort of Celestial Warrior, or because he made such a grand entrance, they couldn't say.

Suddenly, his eyes began to slowly open. Rias and Akeno stopped stroking him as they waited with bated breath. Finally, after a long minute, his eyes were in a normal blinking rhythm. He moved his head slightly, nuzzling Akeno's thigh. His eyes drifted to Rias, holding her gaze for a long while before they turned back to Akeno. After another long moment, he smiled and spoke, his voice surprisingly serene.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked.

"Nope," Akeno answered in a light voice.

"d.a.m.n it. I'm dead, then. I guess that figures," he sighed.

"No, you're not dead either. You should be considering how far you fell," she said.

"You're lying. If I'm not dreaming and I'm not dead, then why is my head in the lap of an angel?" he asked, caressing Akeno's cheek gently with the tips of his fingers. She smiled and blushed at the motion as his hand drifted back a bit, doing the same for Rias. Looking over, Akeno saw Rias blus.h.i.+ng and just as surprised. "Forgive me. Two angels."

"We're definitely not angels," Akeno said quietly.

"Could've fooled me. So I'm not dead and I'm not dreaming?" he asked.

"Nope. You're still alive. Surprisingly calm as well," Rias answered. Sighing, he nodded before turning his head towards Akeno. Flas.h.i.+ng her a kind smile, he turned his head the other way. As he saw the others - as well as the swords that Kiba and Xenovia still had out - he suddenly sprang to. He shot up and began to look around, noting that he was in a large, old, and rustic building with a warm and cozy interior. He saw a ma.s.sive desk in front of two bay windows and several torches lit lamps around the inside. His eyes soon turned back to the members of the peerage, all of whom looked at him in surprise. He wanted to point his ring at Kiba and Xenovia, but noticing Koneko, Gasper, and Asia, he decided against it.

'Kids? Can't risk them getting hurt,' he thought. Finally, he calmed down a bit as he felt the fear and apprehension from his saviors; they were likely more afraid of him than he was of them. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down. He felt a warmth on his chest; frowning, his hand pa.s.sed over his brand, which appeared to have reacted not too long ago. Seeing that his damage was healed, he noticed that his s.h.i.+rt was missing as well.

"Ah. Ha. So I'm not dead and I'm not dreaming. Got it. That said, uh… you guys didn't probe me, did you?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. He sighed in relief as he noticed that his jeans were still on. Giving himself a quick cup check, he was satisfied to note that noting of importance was missing.

"PROBE?! HEY, YOU'RE THE ALIEN, NOT US!" Issei exclaimed.

"Ha! Alien? I'm a red-blooded human, my friend," he said, grinning at the thought of being considered otherworldly. His eyes soon turned back to Akeno and Rias. Finally awake, he noted just how beautiful and easy on the eyes they were. They looked at him with just as much excitement as their eyes washed over his figure, taking him in from head to toe. They could easily identify the muscles and veins that coursed through him; his scars added to the intrigue and handsome physique.

"You seem to be better," Xenovia said.

"Feeling better for sure. I take it you're the ones that saved me? Thank you very much," he said warmly, bowing to them. They were surprised at his demeanor; Issei in particular half expected him to be banging off the walls, yelling and cursing them and demanding to be let go; threatening them of the consequences should they not obey. Instead, he treated them like friends, as civil and cordial as one could be.

"It's not a problem. You should really be thanking Asia, though. She's the one who healed you," Akeno said, waving her hand at the blus.h.i.+ng and nervous blonde. She looked at him with an expression that was halfway between fear and excitement; however, as he turned to her and bowed, she felt a bit more at ease.

"Thank you, Miss Asia," he said with a gentle smile.

"Please, there's no need to thank me! It wasn't a problem, really!" she squeaked adorably; the man had to hold back a laugh at her innocent reaction.

"Wow, you did a good job. I remember there was some blood, but it's like nothing ever happened," he said, running a hand down his front. "Well, almost nothing at least."

"Who exactly are you?" Xenovia asked, finally getting to it.

"Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me. My name is Elros; Elros Eärendil. I'm a human, as I said. Ah, thanks," Elros said as he threw on a s.h.i.+rt that Kiba had gotten for him. It was a size too small; Rias and Akeno smirked as they saw how well it fit him. Elros noticed their gaze and answered with a wink of his own.

"That's good and well, but…," Gasper suddenly said. He quickly stopped as Elros looked at him. He jumped behind Koneko, afraid.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. Didn't mean to scare you, especially after you all saved me," Elros said kindly, getting on a knee and getting on the vampires level. Gasper hesitated for a moment, looking at Elros intensely before he stepped out. Rias and Akeno exchanged a quick glance; they expected him to be the last to speak, if at all.

"It-it's OK! I… just wanted to say that you fell from the sky! How are you still alive?!" Gasper exclaimed.

"Ha. You know, I usually wouldn't say. But there's exactly zero chance in h.e.l.l those injuries would've healed this quickly if you guys weren't able to work some literal Magic. Do you have superpowers or something?" Elros asked calmly.

"You seem way too calm and casual for someone asking a question like that," Rias noted with a smile.

"My full name is Elros 'Calm & Casual' Eärendil," he answered.

"You also seem to be a bit too humorous. We could be holding you hostage for all you know," Akeno said

"I hope to G.o.d that that's a promise," Elros said as he stepped a bit closer to her.

"G.o.d can't help you here, I'm afraid," Akeno replied with a sweet smile.

"I'm not sure I want him to. And if you're not a pair of angels, I suppose that's even better," Elros said with a grin.

"We can save the flirting for later," Rias said, still smiling. "Do you have powers as well?"

"I do," Elros nodded.

"Wait - what? Seriously?" Issei asked, aghast.

"Yup. Why're you so surprised, though? I mean… what's that thing on your arm, man?" Elros wondered.

"Ugh… good point," Issei lamented.

"Going back to your powers, though - would you mind demonstrating? I believe we got an example when you shot those two earlier," Rias said.

"Wait - that wasn't a dream either?" Elros asked, surprised.

"I'm afraid not. None of this is a dream," she replied. "It's all very real."

"Well, G.o.d-f.u.c.king-d.a.m.n," he grumbled. "I should probably go turn myself in."

"What? What for?" Rias asked.

"I killed two people, no? Courtesy dictates that I turn myself in. Poor b.a.s.t.a.r.ds," he sighed.

"Yeah, but they were like us. Well, not exactly like us, but suffice it to say that the police won't be handling their deaths," Rias said. Elros looked on in confusion, trying to interpret her words. Finally, Akeno got up and took his arm in arms. She led him to the couch and sat him down between herself and Rias. Elros smiled a kid in a candy shop and put his arms around the two, drawing them in. Rias and Akeno were both surprised at how forward he was; but just as surprising, they leaned in, comfortably resting against him.

'This… feels really nice. He's so warm…,' Rias thought. No one was as surprised as she was at her reaction; a man who fell from the sky and demolished her house one whom she knew nothing about and suddenly wrapped himself comfortably around her and her best friend as though they had been friends for about him put her at ease, though - whether it was his ridiculously cheerful demeanor or seemingly relaxed nature, she couldn't say.

'Mmm. He's pretty handsome. His body is amazing,' Akeno thought as she caressed his arm. Her eyes went up and down his form for the hundredth time. As his eyes connected with hers again, she felt a warm rush through her body. He had a smile that put her at ease - it had no hidden meaning beyond being a kind and simple smile.

"Hey, that's not fair! He's already hitting on them!" Issei complained loudly, snapping Akeno and Rias out of their funk. Elros laughed lightly but soon stopped as the seriousness of the situation dawned on him again.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just sit with us for a bit, okay? We'll explain everything," Akeno said gently. She rested a hand on his right pec, gently caressing the brand; if he noticed, he didn't say anything or didn't mind.

"Yeah. Alright. So, what's going on? And please, don't hold back. I need to know everything. I'm calm, cool, and collected - so whatever it is, harsh or mellow, lay it on me," Elros said.

"Rias, it might be best if you do the honors," Akeno said.

"Right. Well, Elros, you asked us if we have powers, right?" Rias asked.

"Yup," Elros nodded.

"We do, as we a.s.sume you have," Rias said.

"Right," Elros nodded again.

"Mmm… perhaps it's best to rip the bandaid off, as it were. We - all of us here - are Devils," Rias said, flouris.h.i.+ng her hand around the room, giving caution the bird as she did so. "After all that happened, I figure there's not use in stringing you along for no reason."

"Ah. I see. You're uh… mmm. Devils, eh?" Elros asked after a long pause.

"Yes, we're Devils," Rias said again. The irony of the situation was not lost on her.

Elros looked around the room. The others, save for Xenovia, Koneko, and Gasper, smiled and confirmed. As his eyes finally reached Akeno, he noted that he smile almost seemed sad. He caressed her shoulder as he leaned back, seeing Issei and Kiba nod at him.

"One more time, if you will," he said, looking back at Rias.

"We. Are. Devils," she restated with a smile.

"And you're positive this isn't a dream?" Elros asked. Akeno gave him a gentle pinch after which he shot up in a flash.

"NO f.u.c.kING WAY ARE YOU FOR f.u.c.kING REAL?!" he exclaimed excitedly. The stars were almost visible in his eyes.

"So much for Mr. Calm & Casual," Rias said, breaking into giggles with Akeno.

"I've been an earthling since forever and I can't recall meeting Devil's like you guys! Hold the f.u.c.k on! WHAT?!" Elros exclaimed, trying to process what Rias told him.

"It's true," Akeno said.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah. Seriously? DEVILS!?" Elros asked yet again.

"We are," Rias said.

"No f.u.c.king way. You look absolutely gorgeous. And I don't sense even a hint of malevolence. Where's your forked tongue? And your cloven hooves? Your snarl and sinister laughs? Don't you want my soul!? Elros asked, his mouth comically hanging open. Rias and Akeno smiled at the compliment before Akeno spoke again.

"Not all Devils are evil, you know. Just like not all humans are evil. It's shades of grey, like it is anywhere else. And we obviously don't look like what the stories do, but you can't expect them to be all that honest, can you? There are some Strays that look like what you described, but that's a completely different story," she said, leaning forward and resting her chin on a hand, happily observing his childlike excitement.

"That… well, you make a good point. My apologies. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. You see, I did meet a Devil before, but he wasn't anything like you guys. I'm talking demonic visage and 'behold as I drive your neck under my cloven hoof!' bulls.h.i.+t. You're not playing with me, are you? You don't have any transformations hidden behind that… figure?" Elros asked, his eyes pa.s.sing over Rias and Akeno again.

"We're positive," Akeno replied honestly.

"This is awesome," Elros whispered excitedly.

"You said you've meet a Devil before, though? Why is this so surprising?" Rias asked, intrigued.

"Well, the one I met - like I said - was closer to the common perception. Horns, forked tongue, hooves, etc. I only met him because a friend of mine was being chased, so it wasn't a long encounter. But holy f.u.c.k this is awesome. Devils!" Elros said, grinning.

"A Stray, maybe?" Akeno asked Rias.

"Most likely. That or from a different Circle," Rias said.

"Circle? You mean like Dante's Inferno?" Elros asked.

"That's right. There are supposedly Nine Circles of h.e.l.l, although none of us have interacted with them. My parents or grandparents might know a bit more, but I'm afraid I can't tell you; I don't know it myself," Rias replied.

"You know, Issei, I don't think you were this excited when Rias turned you," Akeno said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I just went with the flow," Issei sighed.

"Moving on, though - if you know about Devils, then you must know about Angels and Fallen Angels?" Akeno asked.

"Angels? Oh yeah. Fallen Angels, though? Mmm… first time I'm hearing about them, besides stories. How long have they been around?" Elros asked.

"As long as us. I'm surprised you've never heard of them, considering that you know about Devils and Angels. But curiously - what's your interaction with Angels been like?" Rias asked.

"I know a couple. Good guys. I like them, I guess," Elros shrugged.

"And how involved are you with them?" Rias asked.

"This feels like it's becoming an interrogation," Elros said with a slight smile.

"Just making sure. Can't be too careful in situations like this," Rias responded.

"Ha. Guess not. Involved? Not at all besides knowing them. I don't dole out G.o.d's Will, if that's what you're asking," he responded.

"They didn't tell you about us?" Rias wondered.

"Can't say that they did. I only brought up the subject that one time. Other than that, I can't say I was attentive to all the Heaven/h.e.l.l stuff except for some stuff about a war," Elros sighed. "Guess I should've paid more attention. Christ, if I knew Devils like you guys existed, I would've sold my soul a long time ago."

"That's not something to joke about," Rias said with a slight smile.

"I guess you're right, especially considering the position I'm in," he said with a laugh. "Jeez, this is amazing!"

"I suppose it should be said that Angels and Fallen Angels are typically our enemies," Kiba added. The others nodded in agreement; as they did so, Elros noticed a few frowns as a sudden weight descended in the room. He decided against asking them about it for the time being.

"So, you know about the war?" Xenovia asked.

"Mhm. Heaven vs. h.e.l.l, millennia ago. Although I wasn't aware there was a third group in the middle of it all. Now that is something interesting," Elros said.

"Indeed - the Three Factions, as we call them. While there wasn't a conclusive winner during the war, the Three remained separate and since then, there have been small skirmishes here and there. Like Kiba said, Angels and Fallen Angels are typically our enemies - and I'm sure you can guess why. That said, the relations.h.i.+p between those two Factions is quite inconsonant as well. They fight each other as much as they do us. There's more to say, but it's a long, long conversation best saved for another time," Rias said.

"Huh. Not dissimilar form humans, then," Elros grumbled.

"The two you killed were Fallen Angels. And you shouldn't feel too bad; it was self-defense. They wanted to take your body. I mean… a guy cras.h.i.+ng on Earth is bound to fetch some interest. Like Rias said, it'll be handled internally," Akeno said, finally putting Elros at ease.

"Nonetheless, I should've dealt with it better," Elros said, rubbing his face vigorously.

'G.o.d f.u.c.king d.a.m.n, what a s.h.i.+tshow,' he thought.

"Nonetheless, thank you for saving my life - twice, it seems. And all I have to show for it is destroying your house and probably s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up your vacation. Sorry about that," Elros said with a sheepish grin.

"Not a problem," Rias said with a giggle, getting up and taking his arm in hers, leading him back to the couch. Elros put his arms around the two again, which they happily let him do. "But now, what about you? As strong as a Devil is, none could've survived a fall like that. Where do you come from, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I'll be honest with you - the last couple of days are a blur for me. I'm not pulling much beyond the basics. All I recall is that a few days ago, I wasn't on Earth - and when I woke up today, I'm here and my heads in the lap of a beautiful woman. I can think of worse ways to wake up, I guess," Elros said, his mind going off track a bit.

'I need to stop falling asleep like this. Gonna get me killed one day,' he grumbled. As he tore his mind away from his sleeping habits, he noted that the mood of the room had changed. He tried to tell them in the most believable and nonchalant way possible that, but suspected it probably wouldn't fly, even with Devils.

"H…hold on a minute. What do you mean by 'I wasn't on Earth'?" Rias asked weakly.

"Ah. Yes, that. Well, you see - I'm what you might call a Green Lantern," Elros said with a small smile.

"Sorry… a what?" Akeno asked after a long silence.

"A Green Lantern. It'd take a long time to explain it properly, but to put it simply I'm a… kind of s.p.a.ce cop," Elros said.

"WHAT? YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU WEREN'T AN ALIEN!" Issei roared as he shot up, half surprised, half terrified, all excited.

"And I'm not. I'm a red-blooded human. In addition to that, however, I'm also a Green Lantern," Elros said, showing them the ring on his right ring finger. Rias quickly took his hand in hers and observed the weapon, gently poking it. He soon showed it all around to let them all get a good look and feel for it.

"This is my power ring," Elros said fondly as vivid memories played through his mind. While he couldn't remember every instance that the ring had saved him, it did - and there were far too many to count.

"Can you take it off?" Akeno asked as she took his hands in hers.

"I can, but I never do. Sorry, but I can't now either," Elros said.

"Ok… so what exactly is a Green Lantern?" Akeno asked, her voice laden with excitement.

"You're going to have to bear with me a bit as I explain. s.p.a.ce cop really is the simplest way to put it; but I'm a sort of… peacekeeper of the universe. I know that sounds really egotistical and probably more than a little bit f.u.c.king dumb but that's the gist of it. There are 7,204 other Green Lanterns - beings like me - and two of us are sighed to a single s.p.a.ce sector. There's 3,600 s.p.a.ce sectors, and I'm one of two active Lanterns in Sector 2814, which is the Sector Earth is in. There are some extra Lanterns out there, but they're inactive - so there's technically 7,200 active Lanterns. A lot of my time is spent doing missions to make sure there isn't a significant planet breaking crisis in our Sector," Elros said patiently waiting for them to swallow the pill.

There was a long, tenuous pause as they digested the information.

"WHAT? s.p.a.cE SECTOR?!" Issei roared in excitement.

"PLANET BREAKING CRISIS?!" Asia screamed, louder than she had ever been.

"DID YOU SAY UNIVERSE?!" Gasper asked, excited and afraid.

"Yup, yup, and yup," Elros said, grinning at their surprise. This was a better reaction than he had hoped for; he half expected them to tie him in a straight jacket and wait for the police to pick him up.

'Ha. If they weren't Devils, they just might've,' he thought.

"Hold on a minute, Elros. We need to process this," Akeno said, just as surprised as the others - although she and Rias did an amazing job at keeping their surprise hidden.

"Of course," Elros said patiently.

"Are all Lanterns humans like you?" Rias asked, finally breaking the silence.

"No. I'm one of two active human GLs. There've been a few before me, though. They served as Lanterns before I did. They even have their rings, still. But they're considered inactive for now - unless something really f.u.c.ked up happens. We keep in touch, though. They're all in the Sates and three of them live within a few hundred miles of each other. Other than that, however - the Corps. is an eclectic mix of aliens," Elros explained.

"I KNEW IT! ALIENS! WHAT DID I SAY?!" Issei exclaimed.

"Not a far cry from Devils, Angels, or Fallen Angels, right?" Elros asked with a knowing smile.

"He's got a point there," Akeno said, conceding.

"And that ring. What is it, exactly?" Rias asked, pointing at his ring.

"A Green Lantern Power Ring; our most powerful weapon - in fact, I'd go so far as to say its one of the most powerful weapons ever created. It gives us a wide array of powers. It allows us to equip our uniform, it gives basic forcefield armor, allows us to fly, etc. It can absorb a variety of energy, allows the user to phase through solid objects, gives us invisibility by reflecting and refracting light, and quite a few other things. It's most important power in addition to flight and defense, though, is allowing us to create constructs through our imagination. One thing it lacks, however, is the ability to heal. Unless I knew a lot about medicine - I'm talking at least four years of medical school and considerable training, I would have been out of luck if it didn't s.h.i.+eld me somewhat from the landing. Pretty sure if you guys didn't find me, I wouldn't have walked away alive, so I thank you sincerely," Elros said, smiling particularly at Asia who blushed deep red but answered with her own smile.

"That's amazing," Akeno said, breathless at the information she had gleaned.

"Yup. It looks like it's low on power right now, though," Elros said as he observed his ring, slightly frowning.

"So it uses light as a focal point for power?" Rias asked in intrigue.

"Yup. Gives light a tangible and solid form," Elros said.

"How do you power it up?" Akeno asked curiously. Elros smiled before he turned his attention to the ring.

"Each ring bearer gets not only the ring but a personal battery that draws on power from a central battery located on another planet. Here we go," Elros said. To everyone's shock, a small floating portal had appeared. Rias and Akeno looked on in wonder as they tried to look inside, but couldn't see anything. Elros reached in, withdrawing a lantern made from a dark green metal. It had an equidistant cross-like appearance with an eerie, green glow visible from openings on either side. On two spherical opposite sides there extended a long, thin handle. Elros pointed his ring at one of the glowing openings and began to chant.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who wors.h.i.+p evils might, beware my power, Green Lanterns light!" Elros said, repeating the oath he had taken countless times. The ring and the lantern began to glow a bright green as it recognized its owner. The others looked on in awe, amazed by the ghostly beauty the two alien objects gave off. Even more than that, though, they were amazed by the fact that the light seemed not to hurt them on sight, much like before - even though it was more intense now. After a short while, the portal reopened and Elros put the lantern back in it.

"Wow," Akeno breathed as she held on to Elros's arm and observed the light that continued to emanate from the ring. Rias leaned over as well, taking the sight in as much as she could.

"That's so awesome," Gasper whispered while the others nodded in agreement, unable to break their gaze from the sight.

"Alright, ring - power level," Elros said.

"Power level at 28.9%, and increasing," said the disembodied voice of the ring.

"IT CAN TALK?!" Kiba exclaimed, shocked.

"A bit. It has some level of sentience. At the very least, it can communicate on a basic level," Elros said.

"It doesn't even hurt," Akeno whispered as she touched the ring.

"Of course not. It's just light," Elros said, confused.

"Devils are weak against light," Rias said with a smile. Elros's eyes went wide as the ring suddenly stopped glowing.

"You guys should've told me that before I busted it out! What if I hurt you?! After all that you've done for me!" he exclaimed frantically. Rias's eyes went wide in surprise as he grabbed her cheeks.

"What're you doing?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"You're alright, right? No damage?" he asked as he examined her eyes, making sure her pupils weren't too dilated. Rias couldn't help but smile at the level of concern he was showing for strangers. She brought his hands down to her lap, holding them gently.

"It's fine. We're fine. Besides, we didn't figure you for a bad guy," Rias said, making sure to get her point across.

"Still, better safe than sorry in cases like this," Elros said, regaining his composure.

"Well, this has been an exciting day and night, to say the least," Xenovia said with a smile. The others were in agreement; while they were hoping for a few days of tranquility, they had gotten much, much more in return. Not that they minded; interesting things like this didn't happen often, even for Devils.

"So what're you going to do now?" Akeno asked as Elros leaned back.

"Me? Mmm, dunno," Elros said with a grin.

"Are you always so happy?" Akeno teased.

"Considering how I woke up, can you blame me?" he asked with a wink.

"True enough, I guess," Akeno giggled.

"Don't you have to get back to saving the world or visit your family or something?" Rias wondered.

"It's just me and I already finished my mission - that I do remember. I'll be good for a while. If I was heading towards Earth, that means I was probably going to relax. I'll try to fill in what happened the last few days, but beyond that, I'll probably head back to the States or something," Elros said.

"You should stay with one of us for the night, just in case. We can help you figure out your next move if you'd like," Rias offered.

"I'd be an idiot to turn that down," he said.

"You're welcome to stay with me," Akeno offered quickly.

"I don't want to impose… Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get your names, except for Asia here," Elros said, just noticing.

"Well, I'm Asia Argento. I'm the healer of the group," Asia said with a small wave and smile.

"That's quite an important task for someone so young," Elros said encouragingly.

"There's absolutely no one better suited for the job. Asia's power is Twilight Healing. She can heal virtually any injury," Rias said proudly.

"Twilight Healing, huh? Interesting name. Sorry, but what exactly is this place? It's not h.e.l.l, right? Because if it is, I need to meet your interior designed," Elros asked as he looked around, the question finally hitting him. Rias couldn't help but laugh at that.

"No, it isn't h.e.l.l. You're in the headquarters of the Occult Research Club. My name is Rias Gremory, next in line to take over the Gremory Household. The other Devils here are a part of my peerage and in my service. We're a… well, I suppose you could say we're a small family of Devils," Rias said, trying to explain it - although it was probably better left for a longer talk at another time. Elros simply grinned goofily in response.

"I don't really get it, but I got it," he replied cheerfully before turning back to the healer. "Like I said, thanks, Asia."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't heal those big scars you have - or that mark on your chest," Asia said sadly.

"That's not a problem, Asia. Those are permanent, I'm afraid. Still, thanks for what you did manage to do. You saved my life," Elros said. Rias and Akeno exchanged a look as he commented on his scars, but before they could say anything, Koneko started speaking.

"I'm Koneko Toujou. Super strength," Koneko deadpanned. She grabbed the edge of the sofa that Elros, Rias, and Akeno were sitting on and lifted it with ease to demonstrate.

"OH MY G.o.d NO WAY! ARE YOU FOR REAL?! THAT'S AMAZING!" Elros exclaimed, stars in his eyes again as he leaned over Rias's lap to watch as Koneko lifted and set them down several times. Rias looked at Akeno in surprise, but received no help; Akeno was giggling madly while Rias tried to figure out what to do with her hands.

"Sorry about that, Rias," Elros said as he sat back down again.

"No problem. I'm surprised you're so excited, though, considering your own powers," Rias said with an amused smile.

"Seeing things like this never gets old, though. Shoot me dead the day I'm not excited by something like this. That's ridiculously awesome, Koneko," Elros said happily. Koneko bowed and blushed slightly before going back to her position by Gasper, a small smile on her face. He began to speak but quickly stopped as he looked at Elros. Quickly, he retreated behind Koneko again.

"Sorry. He's a little shy," Rias said.

"It's fine. I understand," Elros said, smiling warmly at Gasper, but not egging him to go on. Issei decided to step in next.

"Well, my names Issei Hyoudo. This is my power - Boosted Gear. The Red Dragon Emperor," Issei said as he brought out his legendary gauntlet for Elros to see.

"Jesus Christ, this is sweet as h.e.l.l. It looks like a dragon talon, though. What is it, exactly?" Elros asked as he got up to examine the beautiful, bright red arm. Suddenly, it began to speak.

'My name is Ddraig. I am the Red Dragon Emperor, bonded to Issei Hyoudou - my perverted partner,' the disembodied voice of the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor said in his deep voice.

"How's it going, Ddraig? What are you, exactly?" Elros asked in excitement.

"You don't seem… weirded out that you're talking to my arm?" Issei asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I've had weirder conversations, trust me…," Elros said darkly. Issei nodded; he was probably right. To a guy who probably surfed with aliens, this was most likely another normal day.

'As I said, Elros Eärendil, my name is Ddraig. This weapon, the Boosted Gear, is a Sacred Gear - one of the 13 Longinus, weapons powerful enough to kill G.o.ds,' Ddraig said.

"Longinus? As in the Spear of Longinus? The Holy Lance? The Lance of Destiny? The Lance used to pierce the side of Jesus Christ? That Longinus?" Elros asked in wonder.

'Indeed. The spear is but one of the Longinus - although it is known as the True Longinus. Only one of each Longinus may exist at a point in time, and Issei Hyoudou wields this one,' Ddraig said.

"f.u.c.king a," Elros whispered. "That's pretty sweet. I don't often see things like this, to be honest. Usually, powers are innate or there's a conduit that's less p.r.o.nounced. An entire arm, though? That's pretty sweet."

"That's good and all, but it's got nothing on my signature move - the Dress Break! Tap a girl with this and snap - and her clothes go flying off," Issei grinned wide to Elros.

"Points for creativity," Elros said with a hearty laugh.

"At last… someone who understands," Issei cried as he hugged Elros and sobbed in excitement, happy to have found a kindred spirit.

"There, there man. That's certainly a special power. Just… don't blow my clothes off, alright?" Elros said as he patted him on the back. As Issei let go, Kiba stepped up.

"h.e.l.lo. I'm Kiba Yuuto. Swordsman and Knight in the service of Rias Gremory," Kiba said with a smile.

"A pleasure," Elros said politely as he shook hands with Kiba.

"Xenovia Quarta. Swordsman and Knight as well. This is Durandal, my blade," Xenovia said as she brandished the mighty sword.

"Woah. That's gotta be tough to swing," Elros said, looking at the blade.

"Not really. You get used to it," Xenovia said nonchalantly.

"Durandal… the same sword that Emperor Charlemagne gave to Roland?" Elros asked with intense interest as he examined the blade. It was a marvel; its crisp, blue color radiated a dangerous aura. It seemed to suit Xenovia's stoicness well.

"The very same. You know your history," Xenovia said.

"I love history. Seeing it come alive is something else, though," Elros replied.

"And my ability allows me to take on the traits of multiple different swords," Kiba explained.

"That's pretty sweet. You guys seem pretty well rounded. Healing, swordsmans.h.i.+p, and stripping - a veritable trifecta," Elros commented.

"I can't believe you included Issei in that…," Xenovia grumbled.

"My name is Akeno Himejima and I use elemental magic for the most part. My specialty, however, is thunder and lightning. They call me the Thunder Priestess," Akeno said sweetly as she demonstrated her powers for Elros who was utterly captivated as he saw electricity fly out of her fingertips. He fell quickly onto the sofa again and took her hand in his, examining it.

"So cool," he whispered in awe. Akeno giggled in response as she showed him a few more tricks such as igniting a finger with a small wisp of fire; rotating a sphere of water in her hands; creating a gust of wind that whipped around his face; and finis.h.i.+ng off with a few more jolts of electricity.

"I inherited my ability from my mother; the Power of Destruction. I'd show you, but sometimes it get out of hand," Rias said.

"That's so awesome," Elros replied, bringing his attention to her. They lingered as they looked at each other until Gasper finally broke the silence.

"H-h-hi. I'm Gasper. I'm a vampire," Gasper said nervously. They all looked at him in surprise, thinking that he would be too nervous to speak at all. Elros too looked at him in surprise - but for another reason entirely. As Gasper said what he was, Elros's jaw dropped as he looked around at the others. Gasper frowned a bit, thinking he scared Elros off.

"Really?" he asked weakly. Akeno nodded.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Elros exclaimed as he quickly fell to his knees and faced Gasper, a look of ma.s.sive excitement etched into his face. Gasper broke into a huge smile as he saw the reaction. "A VAMPIRE?! That's f.u.c.king amazing!"

"Language, Elros," Rias giggled.

"I'm sorry! But that's too awesome! A VAMPIRE, YOU GUYS. I've met vampires before, but… but…," Elros trailed off, unable to continue for a second.

"You think its awesome?" Gasper asked excitedly.

"Of course! So you'red a Devil-Vampire?!" Elros asked excitedly. Gasper nodded. This was too much for Elros, who looked like a little kid that just opened his favorite present on a White Christmas.

"THAT'S THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD! What's your power, Gasper?" Elros asked.

"I can stop time!" Gasper responded excitedly.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! NO WAY!" Elros shouted back, excitedly shocked.

"WAY!" Gasper shouted in response. He had never met someone who was so excited to meet him.

"A DEVIL VAMPIRE WHO CAN CONTROL TIME! ARE YOU FOR REAL?!" Elros yelled excitedly at the others. Gasper smiled wide as he went back to stand by Koneko. Akeno and Rias smiled at each other as they saw the happiness on Gasper's face, something they were still getting used to.

"I'm glad you waited to go last, Gasper. That's what I call saving the best for last. Absolutely zero chance of anyone topping that," Elros said as he grinned ear to ear.

"Anyways, back to the matter at hand. You can stay with Akeno tonight, and we can help you figure out what to do starting tomorrow. How does that sound?" Rias asked.

"Yeah, that works for me. Thank you for offering, Akeno," Elros said.

"Not a problem. Come on, let's get going," Akeno said as she took his hand and began to lead Elros out

"I'll see you guys later," Elros yelled back at them as he exited the door. As he did so, Rias frowned - and felt a sudden pang of jealousy go through her as she thought about Akeno and Elros spending the night together.

'What am I thinking? I barely even know him. How can I already be jealous? Wait, am I jealous? There's no way. No way. I'm… I'm not… Am I? No. Of course not. Just worried, as a good friend would be. But I wonder… what's going to happen tomorrow? Is he going to leave? Maybe… hmmm…,' Rias thought. She excused herself to go to her private office, thinking of how she wanted to approach the situation.

'I don't know much about him or his responsibilities, but he's strong. Really strong. No way he would've survived a fall like that otherwise. And he killed two Fallen Angels in a near unconscious state. I only have two s.p.a.ces left open… but would he even want to join? I mean, if he has all those other responsibilities. I guess there's no harm in asking. I… I hope he agrees. He's… I… wow,' Rias thought as she sat down. She leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling. There would be no rest for her this night; Elros was far to deep on her mind. She bit her lip gently as she thought of he looked when they removed his s.h.i.+rt. Quickly, however, she shook her head - there would be time for that later. Right now, she needed to find a way to broach the topic with him.

-o-

The trip to Akeno's apartment pa.s.sed without much talk between the two beyond Akeno pointing out some sights, although this far into the night both of them were far to tired to actually take note of them.

After a while, they arrived at a quaint little high rise - part of the new era of steel and gla.s.s skysc.r.a.pers that were becoming the norm the world over. As they entered, Elros looked around in interest and surveyed the apartment. He liked Akeno's minimalistic taste when it came to decorating, for he was much the same way. Decorations were neat, scarce, and sharp. To his right, he saw that the living room transformed into a large kitchen that Akeno obviously spent quite a bit of time in.

As Akeno flipped the light switch, he saw a few more things of note. He saw that the walls were spa.r.s.ely decorated except for a few well-chosen art prints that were hung intermittently. There was only a single picture of her on the wall: she, Rias, and the rest of the peerage smiling for the camera. He could feel the love and warmth that existed amongst the group while he was at the ORC and it brought joy to his heart. After a few moments of observation, Elros finally went over to the couch.

"What're you doing?" Akeno asked with a frown.

"About to go to sleep," Elros said as he sat down and began to stretch and lay out.

"Don't be silly! I'm not putting you on the couch. You can join me in the bed," Akeno said with a sweet smile.

"Are you sure?" Elros asked with a smile of his own.

"I'm positive. Come on," Akeno said as she walked over and grabbed his hand, leading him into her bedroom. Much like the rest of the apartment, it was minimalistic. There was a large bed with a black oak frame that sat in the middle against the wall. It had four large pillars, supporting a sheer black canopy that draped gracefully around the sides of the bed. Each nightstand supported a beautiful lamp; one was in the form of a marble, nude woman supporting the light bulb with her hands raised high above, her head looking to the light. The other lamp was of a nude man, also carved out of marble; he supported the light on his back, much like Atlas, the t.i.tan. Elros excused himself to bathroom while Akeno began to change into her nightgown.

As she watched him enter the bathroom, she brought a hand to her heart and felt it. It was decidedly beating a bit faster than usual, easily attributable to a few of things; a peacekeeper of the universe had interrupted their reprieve; he was quite an interesting person; and she was about to share her bed with him, something that she had never done so with anyone before. Even in the ORC, she was surprised that she had extended that offer to him. The prospect never frightened her, however, which was surprising. After all, here was a man that had made an extremely dramatic entrance into their lives; he demolished Rias's house and killed two Fallen Angels; looking at his scars, he obviously had stories to tell and there were no doubt other scars there that were not so easily visible; however, ever since he woke up, she had felt nothing but comfortable in his presence. While his job sounded serious, Elros seemed to be a fairly happy and cheerful person, Akeno thought. In the extremely short while she had known him, he was almost constantly smiling and the only times he wasn't was when he had thought he killed two people in cold blood and when he thought that the light from his ring would hurt them. She smiled as she thought about the kind of person he was and it strengthened her resolve in her decision to invite him into her home so quickly. Her thoughts soon trailed to what would come tomorrow; and they lined up with Rias's - what would be his next move? Would he even consider the possibility? Her phone soon vibrated.

'So? What do you think?' Rias asked

'About what in particular?' Akeno replied.

'You know. Elros,' Rias responded.

'He's... attractive. Quite handsome and well built. Really warm hands, but you know that. How he grabbed your face? So cute,' Akeno responded with a smirk on her lips, knowing that would fl.u.s.ter Rias. Regardless of how seductive her friend was, she was still a virgin - and while she loved to tease, she didn't like to be on the receiving end of the teasing.

'Not that!' Rias replied.

'So you don't think he's attractive?' Akeno asked.

'He's hot. But you know what I'm talking about!' Rias typed back, her exasperation evident. Akeno decided to drop the teasing for the moment and finally got serious.

'Yeah, I know. If you're asking whether I think he'd be a good addition to the peerage, I would have to say yes. I've never seen anything like him before. I think he could help us out a lot. But I don't know if he'll want to join. He seems to have a lot of responsibilities already, so I don't know if he'll want more. Besides, he already seems to have gone through some rough times. Those scars...' Akeno trailed off within the text. It was a moment before Rias replied.

'I know. I'm hesitant to ask as well, but... I'm going to, I think. Mind if I come over in the morning?' Rias asked.

'Think it's a good idea to ask him so soon?' Akeno replied.

'I think so. I don't know how long he'll stay in j.a.pan if he has other business to attend to, so I think sooner is better than later. But he made it sound like he's pretty much a free agent beyond what he already does. Still, I'm not sure what we could offer him in particular, but... we won't know if we don't try,' Rias said.

'I guess. It's fine. Come over in the morning,' Akeno said.

'Thanks. I'm getting ready to talk to my dad about it. Also going to ask if he might be able to get Elros a spot in school,' Rias said.

'Seriously?!' Akeno asked, surprised by her train of thought.

'Yeah. You're probably thinking its overkill, but if he really doesn't have anything else to do besides his responsibilities... I dunno, it seemed like a good idea at the moment,' Rias said, her grumbling evident through her text. Akeno giggled as she read it.

'Lol. It's fine. I think it's a good idea, actually. There are worse ways to spend your time than going to cla.s.s with us. Go for it, I think. We'll find out his answer soon enough,' Akeno replied.

'Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night. Tell him I said good night, as well,' Rias said.

'Mmkay. Good night,' Akeno responded, finally setting her phone on her nightstand as she thought about their conversation. School, huh? It wasn't a bad idea, but would he go for it?

-o-

"Man, what the h.e.l.l happened?" Elros asked his reflection, finally getting some alone time. He took his s.h.i.+rt off and examined the scar that ran across his chest - a reminder. He gently pressed the brand as he did when deep in thought. Elros closed his eyes as he began to rack his brains for whatever details that might come to him - anything that offered a clue about what happened over the last couple of days. Regardless of how hard he tried, though, nothing came to him.

"Ring, what was I doing the last few days?" Elros asked his ring.

"Data corrupted. Prior Official Mission: Planet Nebulous in the Milky Way Galaxy; halting an incursion force on a peaceful planet. Result: Successful destruction of incursion force. Prior Personal Mission: Odym, in the Milky Way Galaxy. Interactions with the Blue Lantern, Saint Walker. Acceptance of request and receivers.h.i.+p of Blue Ring. Saint Walker's training has been accepted," the ring said.

"Ah, ha! Nebulous! Oh yeah, that was a really fun night. And Odym… yeah, remember that as well. Going to have to get a jump on this ring soon or else I'll disappoint Saint Walker. Couldn't stand to see him disappointed. But corrupted, huh? Mmm… probably Yellow. Can't exactly ask around, unfortunately. Ugh," Elros sighed. Was.h.i.+ng his face, he ran a hand through the white streaks. "Guess I'm already getting to old for this s.h.i.+t."

Finally, he exhaled heavily and walked out to the bedroom. He saw Akeno waiting for him on the edge, smiling as he approached. He paused for a moment to admire her beauty. She wore a silky, lavender nightgown that fit her well. She had removed the ponytail and let her black hair flow down her back, almost touching the ground with its considerable length. She was quite the sight to behold. Suddenly, his phone began to ring.

"Thank G.o.d its still working," he sighed before answering. "Hey, Z. What's up?"

"Hey. You back yet?" came a feminine voice on the other end.

"Yup. Just tonight," he said.

"Want to drop by this week?" the voice asked.

"Sure. I'll let you know when," he said with a light smile.

"Can't wait. Later, E," she replied seductively.

"See you, Z," Elros said.

"Important call?" Akeno wondered.

"You could say that. Friend of mine wants me to visit. I'll make some time during the week. Again, sorry to impose," Elros said as he finally laid down, glad to do so at last; his entire body was weary, the inevitable side effect of his duties as Green Lantern.

"Please, not at all. It's nice to have some interesting company. Also, Rias told me to tell you good night and that she's going to be coming over in the morning tomorrow. She wants to talk to you about something," Akeno said.

"Sounds good to me. And tell her good night and sweet dreams from me as well," Elros said with a smile. Akeno grabbed her phone to send the text.

'Elros says good night and sweet dreams,' she wrote.

'You actually told him? And really?' Rias asked.

'Yes, and yes,' Akeno said.

'Oh. Well. Alright. See you tomorrow,' Rias wrote back. Akeno smiled, knowing that Rias was probably a bit fl.u.s.tered. She heard Elros grunt wearily as he finally spread himself comfortably on the bed, gingerly resting his head on the pillow and exhaling deeply as he did so.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Na, just a bit achy. Comes with the territory, I'm afraid," he replied.

Akeno scooted a bit closer to him, resting her head on his chest. Elros smiled at the gesture as he put a hand on her head and began to run it gently through her hair. As he did so, Akeno felt a s.h.i.+ver go down her spine - the sensation ignited her senses for some reason, making her heart beat faster. She smiled as he kept doing it, enjoying it intensely.

"I hope you don't mind. Thought I'd try out a new pillow tonight," Akeno said with a giggle as her hand began to run over his torso. She felt the ridges of his abs as she traced up across his chest, running her fingers across the large scar and the brand. She frowned slightly as she reached them; it was a story that she was split on hearing. She had seen everyone in the peerage naked on several occasions, and she knew for a fact that none of them had such vicious markings.

"I don't mind in the slightest. This feels really nice, actually. Let's make it a thing, shall we?" Elros replied. Akeno looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"You'd have to stick around if we want to make it a thing," she said.

"So long as you promise it becomes a thing if I do decide to stick around," he said with a smirk.

"You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought you'd put up more of a fight," Akeno said.

"Hmm? Over what?" Elros asked curiously.

"Sleeping with me, of course. I mean I just offered you a place in my bed and you said yes. Where's your false sense of modesty?" Akeno asked with a light laugh.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you, Lady Himejima. I'm afraid I lack all modesty, false or otherwise. When a beautiful maiden offers to share her bed with me, I'm jumping at the chance. Such is my philosophy," Elros replied with a grin.

"Mhm. Don't try anything funny tonight. You might be a s.p.a.ce cop, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well," Akeno said as she looked upwards at him, resting her chin on chest. Elros brought a hand to her cheek and caressed it gently. Akeno couldn't help but blush at the motion; something she wasn't used to doing.

"Perish the thought. To think that you have such a low opinion of me after all the time we've spent together," Elros said dramatically. Akeno giggled audibly at that as she adjusted herself again, bringing his hand to her head so he could continue weaving it through her hair.

"Are you trying to remember what happened over the last few days?" she asked quietly.

"I am. It's a sort of uneasy feeling, but I've no doubt it'll come to me sooner or later. Until then, I'll just relax until I'm called out on a mission. Might as well go with the flow," Elros said.

"You know… if you have nothing else to do, you could always become a Devil," Akeno whispered quietly, listening intently for a response. Elros was silent for a moment before he let out a short laugh.

"Maybe, but something tells me it's not like signing a contract and boom, you're a Devil. I'm not against the idea, though," he said.

"What? Really? You'd make a change like that?" Akeno asked in surprise, although she kept her head down.

"You only live once, as far as I know. If something like this comes up, I'd be stupid not to consider it. So long as I can carry out my duties as a Green Lantern and live my life the way I want to, why not? Life changing decisions are second nature to me at this point," Elros said.

"A simplistic yet still complex philosophy," Akeno mused.

"I guess, but I've found that it works well for me; maybe not as well for others. But we can talk more of that tomorrow or another time. For now, let's get some sleep. Sweet dreams, Akeno," Elros whispered as he caressed her cheek again, falling quickly asleep.

"You too, Elros," Akeno replied as she finally fell asleep a few minutes later, thoughts of Elros dancing and racing through her mind.