ISSEI
ESKK: Hey I know new story and shit and I bet you no one is going to even like this idea. But hear me out see I saw the Logan movie a while back and it made me thing… wow I can't believe it's all over no more Logan… but at least we got the whole new Wolverine in Laura. Anyway it had me thinking of another idea for it but using Issei but the kicker is it's meant to act as a sort of starting point for a new fanfic in the works by me so in a way this one is a prelude to what's to come. Now then let's all begin.
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"Powerful Beings."
(Scene Break)
*Music Insert
Disclaimer: I do not own Logan or High School DXD only the OC's that will no doubt appear in future chapters.
(Start)
Issei Hyoudou the Dragon of Dragons, Former unofficial Harem King, The Underworlds Strongest Pawn, former Servant to the House of Gremory and finally holder of the Boosted Gear of the Welsh Dragon Longinus was sleeping in the backseat of his '32 Mustang limousine. He was dreaming about an island, and sitting on top of it, meditating, surrounded by his friends, family, and those he held dear to his heart. All of them safe, and away from the cruelty of reality. Away from harm. Away from those who made it a life goal to destroy his and his loved ones' lives. He dreamt of the time at Kuoh Academy and how in a perfect world they weren't devil's, angels, or any of the sort just a group of kids in the Occult Research Club using said Club as an excuse to goof off and skip classes just living a normal life.
Issei often wondered what would have happened if he never said yes to Raynares Date offer all those years ago… he often wondered what he would have done if he never met that old perverted geezer… in fact he often wondered if things would have ended differently if he never enrolled into Kuoh Academy. Issei had aged some as he was now an adult with a small beard on his face as he also had some very minor grey hairs here and there. Issei wanted to simply rest peacefully in the smallest of hope that this sleep would be his last as on the dashboard was an old picture of him with the Occult Research Club as on it was the words, 'Never Forget.' By the looks of it the Occult Research Club wasn't around anymore as if a terrible tragedy had struck them all those years ago like fates cruel hands at work.
Unfortunately for Issei, he would be woken up from his first peaceful sleep in a long time to the sound of tools being used on his car, and a trashy Mexican hip-hop song playing on another car's radio. His eyes were clearly tired, and the bags under them cemented that fact. "Ugh… what the fuck?" He managed to grumble. He wasn't in the mood for what was going on, not now, not ever. He already knew what was going on: some idiots were trying to jack his car.
He stumbled out, hungover from the previous night's annual 'get-drunk' fest, and saw exactly what he was expecting a couple of punks failing to imitate some bad asses.
Just a couple of guys from the age of fifteen to twenty-two who liked to rob people, scare them, and make the days of others worse. This particular group of Thugs consisted of a couple of guys, all of them looking roughly in their twenties, who were using power tools to try and take the tires off of his vehicle.
"Uh, guys?" The Thugs almost immediately stopped what they were doing, and looked at the withered, hungover, and clearly tired old man standing in front of them. "Those are chrome-plated lugs, you're gonna need to strip them for parts." Issei said matter-of-factly. The younger men were unintimidated by his deep voice, and tall stature. Some of them even laughed at him, a bit.
"Honestly, that think is on lease no one's gonna pay to ride-" Issei was stopped mid-sentence when one of the thugs pulled out a shotgun and blasted him in the abdomen, knocking the older man to the ground. "Pendejo." One of the Thugs, the one that shot him, said. "Qué puta." And they proceeded to make an attempt to steal the tires off the car.
"You ok there Partner?" Came a familiar voice within Issei as Issei didn't even bother to give him much thought despite his worry.
"I'm good Ddraig, I've been hit with much worse." Issei said as he began to get up as these punks failed to realize they just shot at a Devil who was basically bullet proof to Human Guns. The impact of the shell still hurt like Hell, though. "Oh, shit." He managed to groan in pain as the blood was still there where the shell bits had entered his body from the blast.
Then, he mustered up any strength he had left, and started to get up, surprising the carjackers, who backed away once again.
"Guys, seriously, you don't wanna do this." He said, as he got his arm ready as a green glow came from it.
"BOOST!" Ddraig called out as the Welsh Dragon gear appeared on his arm as Issei needed one more thing. "BLADE!" Ddraig invoked once more as from the gauntlet a large sword came out as this was the Holy Sword Ascalon the Dragon Slayer weapon.
'Can't believe I have to do this again.' Issei thought as he had enough already he just wanted it all to end so he can reunite with his loved ones wherever they may have ended up after what happened. But as Issei thought this he was then attacked by another Thug, who came at him by hitting him in the chest with the butt of his shotgun. A third attacker came at him with a knife, but Issei managed to catch him off balance by kicking his left foot, knocking the attacker down to the ground as he began to slash around wildly with Ascalon as the irony was this was a holy blade and it was being stained by the blood of Gods Children instead of Devils or Dragons that it was meant to kill. A fourth attacker came at him, this time taking Issei on hand-to-hand. Issei managed to counterattack most of the Thug's moves, by stabbing his arm with Escalon as Issei didn't even need to double his power against these punk. But it was when he aimed his handgun at the car that Issei got legitimately worried.
"NO! Not the car!" As the Thug started shooting, Issei got in front of where he was aiming at, and took two bullets for the car, one in the leg, the other near his stomach. The bullets slowed Issei down, giving the Thugs the advantage to beat him down. The Thug that had shot him earlier whacked him to the ground with his gun, while the others started kicking him and beating him with their crowbars and pipes. They yelled orders at one another, such as "get him", or "fuck him up".
Then, one of the Thugs kicked Issei over, causing the others to start kicking his back and sides. And the final straw for Issei came when the Thug wielding the shotgun hit him in the head with the front of his gun. As the Thug began to cock his shotgun, Issei let out a loud, angry, and fierce growl, as he grabbed the beer bottle he dropped on the ground when he was hit with a lead pipe earlier, and smashed it into the poor slob's face, causing him to fire his weapon at the car.
"Motherfuc-" Issei growled angrily, as another thug tried to hit him with the gun but Issei responded with forced as he used Ascalon not caring if Ddraig doubled for him.
"BOOST!" And with that should Issei's power doubled as he sliced off an arm of a thug before he stabbed one through the head killing him instantly as Issei was slaughtering these thugs. Issei even stabbed one through his brain as it was quiet bloody that Issei knew back in the day his friends wouldn't smile proudly upon. But that was back then and this is now and he was already on his way so not much he can do about it in the end.
Brutally beaten, but still conscious, the Thugs finally got the memo, scrambled into their van, and began to drive off, but not before Issei threw a crowbar at the front window of the van. He watched them drive away, until they were out of sight.
"Shit." Issei cursed as he began to stumble to his car as he got the tools away from it as he stumbled a bit and headed to the back of his car and closed the door before he began heading to the driver seat. "Hey Asia I got a few more dings in me can you fix me up." Issei said to no one in particular as he knew already Asia wouldn't be healing anyone anymore not where she was.
Issei knew they were all gone but for him calling them when something happens makes him feel better a bit as he got in and looked next to him to see Asia there as she smiled still in the Kuoh Academy Uniform as she was already taking care of the bullet wounds on Issei using her magic to remove said wounds. Of course this was only to Issei's sight as anyone else would see no one there and Issei wasn't healing at all as Issei smiled a bit just as Asia vanished and Issei drove off.
(Later)
Issei arrived at a bar and went to the bathroom as he a grabbed his spare clothing and began to heal his injuries. Issei had diched his bloody clothing into the trash as he didn't need the others asking about them not that it would matter much later. Issei had the water running as he looked at himself in the mirror with self-loathing as his Devil Healing was pushing the bullets out of there entry points as he glared at himself. To Issei's mind it was all his fault in the end, he wasn't strong enough back then after all the battles he fought all the friends he lost even beating Trihexa he couldn't predict what would happen after words in there time of peace. He couldn't stop what happened and now they were all gone same for him and two others of the old Kuoh Gremory Peerage.
Issei hated himself he made a promise and he couldn't keep it he failed her and everyone they knew so it was no surprise the Red Dragon Emperor had left into self-exile of course he ended up bringing along two familiar faces with him but he knew at least one of them kept trying to make Issei return to his old self. But it was a useless cause after everything that had happened Issei didn't have that old pervert's drive anymore he was just old and tired that he wanted to rest now.
"Rias… everyone please… forgive me." Issei said as he got the shirt on a bit later once all the bullets were out of his body.
(Scene Break the next day)
After stopping at a diner and getting himself a slice of pie and a cup of coffee, Issei made his way to the house of the people he needed to drive. It was a family of four, and the Mother's grandfather had just passed away. He picked them up, and drove them to the cemetery where the funeral was taking place. As soon as they arrived, it began to rain, hard. "Great. Just what I need." Issei thought to himself, when he parked the car.
As the funeral was going on, Issei found a tall tree nearby, one that covered him from the rain, for the most part, and drank from a half empty bottle of booze. When it ended, he threw the now empty bottle into a nearby trash, and walked over to the family, ready to seat them.
When he began to get the melancholic family into his car, a Hispanic woman began walking up to him, with a look of desperation on her face. "Issei Hyoudou?" The Mexican Woman asked as Issei looked as he was shocked someone knew him as inside he hoped it was the local Devil, Angels, or Fallen Angels here to off him. "It's you. It's really you. I've looked for you for a long time." Hearing this, Issei immediately decided to ignore it, and continued getting the family into the car.
Not taking no for an answer, even if it wasn't said, the woman walked directly up to Issei, and spoke to him. "Listen, I need you. We need your-" She was interrupted by Issei's straightforward and curt response. "Not interested. Now go away."
As he continued seating the family, the woman stood, completely shocked that a former hero wouldn't help her, especially considering how in need of help she was. Nevertheless, she continued to attempt to persuade him. "Please, sir! We need your help! You're the only one that could help!"
As soon as she said this, Issei stopped seating the Mother of the family, turned to face the woman, and spoke, with complete harshness in his voice, to her. "Listen, lady. I don't know what you want with me, but from what it sounds like, you're trying to get in touch with a guy who doesn't do what he used to do, anymore and doesn't take contracts anymore either. So get the fuck away from me and my car, and stay out of my way!"
With that, Issei got into the car, and began to drive away. As he drove, he saw the visibly saddened and shocked woman drive past him. As she drove away, he saw a little girl with jet black, shoulder length hair, and emerald green eyes, stare directly at him. "Who was that woman? It seemed like she knew you." The Mother said. "No. I don't know her. She was nobody. Probably just a crazy person, so don't worry about it." Issei said, nonchalantly.
Issei did, however, begin to think deeply on the little girl that was with the woman. "Why did she look so familiar? So similar to-" Suddenly, he decided to stop the thought, not wishing to dwell on the past, and to focus on the hopeful plans he had for the future. It wasn't that he thought that thinking about the past was bad. In fact, it was the best time of his life, if he was being completely honest with himself. But there was a reason that those wonderful times were called the past, and they didn't matter to what was happening in his life, at the moment.
(Later that day)
After he dropped the family off at their home, Issei began to drive for a while, but he did so without much thought. As he drove aimlessly, Issei suddenly remembered that it was Friday. "Shit! I forgot what day it was! I better call Ryan and tell him that I'll meet him, soon." With that, he took out his iPhone 22, pulled up the contacts on his phone, and clicked on one that read the name 'Ryan'. As the phone began ringing, Issei began to get nervous. "Please have the stuff. If he doesn't have it, we're fucked." He spoke to himself, worriedly.
Issei's anxiety was brought down significantly when he heard Ryan's voice. "Hello?" The younger male said, quite groggily. Issei then breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Ryan, it's Issei. It's Exchange Day. Do you have what I need?" Issei said.
"I do, and I can give it to you, if you have what I need. So, the only question that remains is 'do you have the money'?" Ryan replied.
"Yeah, I've got your money." Issei responded, assurance in his voice.
"Great. Meet me at the usual spot in thirty minutes." Ryan said, with a slight coolness in his voice. "I'll be there in fifteen." Issei responded, and with that, he hung up.
Thirty minutes later, after fifteen minutes of waiting for Ryan to show up, Issei saw Ryan's car, an old Dodge Challenger, pull up. Ryan, a skinny, tall, twenty-two year old man proceeded to get out of his car, carrying a bag that contained what Issei needed. "Well, aren't you going to give me the money?" Ryan said, as he crossed his arms.
"Wasn't planning on stealing the bag." Issei responded, as he gave the fifty dollar bill to the drug dealer, who, in return, gave the bag to Issei. Before Ryan left, Issei looked in the bag, and made sure that the prescription drugs were inside, which they were. "Thanks again, Ryan." The older man said, with a small, sad smile on his face. Ryan nodded, got into his car, and drove off.
Issei then got back into his car, unaware that he was being watched. Instead of driving off, Issei pulled a bottle of Whiskey out of the glove compartment, opened it, and began to drink, albeit slowly. Then, a younger man, blonde-haired and sporting a mustache and sunglasses, probably in his thirties, dress as a Priest got into the backseat. "As I live and breathe, Issei Hyoudou the Red Dragon Emperor also known as the Perverted Red Dragon Emperor and one of the Devil Fuckers God couldn't off. And, from the looks of it, he's a junkie, now." The man spoke with a heavy southern drawl as it was evident this guy was a stray priest.
"Who the fuck are you?" Issei asked, obvious confusion in his voice.
"Oh, right, where are my manners? Father Daniel Sullivan, pleasure to meet you." He outstretched his hand, with the hope that Issei would shake it.
Instead, Issei said, "What do you want?" Sullivan was clearly agitated by Issei's rude, abrasive behavior, but he kept his cool.
"Well I heard you were in Phoenix, and then last night a couple of friends of mine saw these three dead cholos off the side, of a pullout on 54, and you know what else they saw? An old guy who had the Boosted Gear slaughtering those dumbasses. They told me that the car they were trying to jack was a '32 Mustang limo, and, well, this is a '32 Mustang limo, if I'm correct. So, I'm assuming she's found you. See, I'm not looking for you, Issei. Well, actually, I'm looking for someone who's looking for you. Gabriella Lopez. She approached you, didn't she?" Of course Issei saw the woman, and, as much as he didn't care about her or whatever her problem was, he wouldn't sell out so easily.
"You know, I know about where you're hiding out. That old Fallen Angel turned Devil Lady out near the train-track, south of the border. Maybe I could pay a visit you know since you Japanese seem a long way from home for Devils." Sullivan smugly smiled after saying that. This was Issei's breaking point. He hadn't exactly been calm up until that point, but this was the moment where he was truly angry.
"There was no woman. No woman came to me. I don't know what you're talking about, and I definitely don't know any Gabriella, so get the fuck out of my car, and stay away from me!" He yelled at the man.
Taken aback and disappointed, Sullivan decided to smugly smile, and pull out something that looked like a business card. "Well, in case you do see her, call the number on the card. All I want is a little cooperation. Who knows if you help servants of God you may get his blessings and he may answer your silent prayers." Sullivan said as Issei glared at this man as said man then set the card on the passenger's seat. He started to get out of the car, opening the door and getting out, only to look back at Issei. "I'm a fan, by the way. I used to sing the theme song at school, all the time, Innocent of D if I'm remembering right." Sullivan said, quite sheepishly. With that, Sullivan left.
Issei then grabbed the Card in question and then looked at the card, which read "Neo Khaos Brigade" on it. "Fuck. FUCK!" He yelled, throwing the card to the floor. He put the key into the ignition, and began to drive back to the place he liked to call 'home', at least for the moment. "Goddammit. Whoever that lady was is really starting to fuck up everything." He thought to himself ignoring the minor headache he had from the G Word.
(Scene Break One Hour later)
After an hour of driving and going through Border Patrol Issei arrived at the place he called 'home'. It was an old plant, abandoned for years, and it was most certainly dirty, but, there were worse places to live. He got out of the car, and walked inside to the main section of the place, and found Koneko the former Rook of the Gremory Peerage and one of said Peerages last surviving members mopping the floors when she saw Issei walk into their dump house.
Issei continued walking, taking off his suit-coat as he did so, towards an exit. "Koneko, how is she?" He asked. Koneko frowned when Issei asked this.
"She's having a bad day." Koneko answered as it was truth right there for them all which made Issei sigh before continuing on.
"Well, they're all bad days, so, that's not really surprising." Issei said with sadness evident in his voice as he exited the main part of the plant, he walked toward a gigantic, metal tank, his hand clutching a brown paper bag, all the while hearing an older, female voice rambling as she talked to herself. Then, he entered the tank.
"I need you to-" The voice stopped talking, and turned her body around to see who was entering. When she saw who it was, she started rambling again, this time getting out of the chair she was sitting in, and walking around aimlessly. "Look who it is! It's… it's… who are you?" The woman asked, clueless.
"You know who I am." Issei responded. Then, the woman snapped her fingers, as if she'd discovered a breakthrough in science. "Of course! You're the man in the Taco Bell commercials! Why, yes sir! I will absolutely buy the Chicken Chalupa you Americans have such amazing food here even if they would slowly kill a normal human!" The woman said as she was completely out of it as no doubt she had been under for a bit or perhaps she was suffering some sort of mental disease a Devil Wing and a Fallen Angel Wing sprouted from her back showing she was a Devil and Fallen Angel as well.
Upon hearing this, Issei's frown turned into a complete look of sadness. "I'm not the Taco Bell guy. You know who I am, Akeno." Issei said revealing the girl was Akeno Himejima the former Queen of the Gremory Peerage and was no longer much of a Dominatrix of Masochist as she used to at all with recent years not after one of the biggest tragedies in their lives that even the Underworld was reeling from it.
"You're the man who puts me to sleep." Akeno said as Issei then sighed after hearing the aged super natural being known as Akeno say that to him like that.
"We could both use some sleep." He took out the needle, and prepared to inject it into her arm.
"NO!" She yelled, knocking him out of the way, and falling to the ground herself, to which the ground, the tank, and everything within a ten mile radius, started shaking.
"Oh no." Issei cursed as he found what was happening.
"ISSEI!" Ddraig called as he saw Issei was feeling the effects of it.
(With Koneko)
Koneko who was trying to cook being demoted to a glorified nurse maid/guard dog was also feeling the effects of this as with Akeno's magic mixed with her Queen Piece and adding in her Younger Onset Alzheimer's Disease that had appeared a few years back Akeno was having a stroke as Koneko found she couldn't move at all here.
(Back with Issei and Akeno)
Issei struggled for about five seconds, before deciding that her leg was the best option for an injection, and stabbed the needle into it, automatically stopping the shaky surroundings.
Panting, Issei said, "See, this is why I need to put that stuff into you. Understand now?"
Agitated, Akeno said, "Fuck off, Hyoudou." Issei smiled a little at that.
"See? You do remember me." Issei said, a bit sarcastically.
"I always remember you. I just don't always recognize you." Akeno said as she hated being bed ridden like this. Issei frowned a little, putting the needle into the trash. He then took out a bottle of pills from the bag, and opened it, pulling out two pills, which were used to suppress... it from happening. "Why do you leave me with Koneko? Not that I mind her but can't Kiba, Asia, or Rossweisse get off their asses, help me out a little or pitch in their fair shares?" Akeno asked as she forgot they were all gone now as this further disheartened Issei.
"Akeno, Kiba, Asia, and Rossweisse are all dead, remember?" Upon hearing this, Akeno also became disheartened.
"I'm sorry. I didn't remember." Akeno said as Issei then sighed, and gave the two pills to Akeno, who swallowed them immediately and without much hesitation.
"It was all my fault not yours Akeno, if I never had joined the Peerage, Hell if I had never went to Kuoh they'd all be alive here and sure… Rias would be married to Rizer the Issei head but at least she would be alive." Issei said with sorrow heavy in his heart at what happened all those years ago after they all met and became a full peerage and a family.
Akeno then grabbed Issei's wrist, with a very strong grip. "How dare you say that? We were in it together. We were a family, Issei. Remember?" Issei abrasively ripped his wrist away from her grip.
"Yeah, and they're all dead, now." Then, Akeno began to look worriedly at her friend.
"Issei… what did you do?" Understanding very clearly what was happening, Issei picked up Akeno, and put her back into her bed, strapping her down, as both he and Koneko did when she started to get this way. "Issei, why aren't you telling me anything? Please, let me go!" Issei began to walk away, but she still kept screaming at him, like a child having a fit.
"Akeno, this is for your own good!" Issei said, with an unintentionally harsh tone in his voice.
"No one deserves this! To be drugged and locked inside of a fucking tank! Please, let me go! Issei, please!" Hearing that last part, Issei turned around, and said, lowly, but clearly, "That isn't who I am, anymore, Akeno." And with that, he left. But Akeno continued to struggle, and yell.
"You're just waiting for me to die!" She screamed, with tears in her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Issei heard that last part as he was walking back, making him feel even worse, because it wasn't true.
Issei moved his hand to his face as it was his left hand the one that Held Ddraig within as he had been oddly silent as of late. Issei didn't mind though now like he was much of a worthy host for Ddraig anymore.
Ddraig meanwhile sensed something was up that something had changed as from within Issei's mindscape his green eyes opened as he looked and saw the image of the Red Dragon Empress power Rias had once used and after time regained it after the Trihexa incident. Ddriag looked closely and saw what looked like a female version of himself behind Rias as this being was named Alastor the Red Dragon Empress who Ddraig would not deny had held feelings for an Empress for an Emperor as it were for them.
Ddraig was also suffering as he also lost someone that day he lost Issei's old self that day the one he had respected and saw as his partner and his mate Alastor for she was the only one who he would stop fighting Albion for she was his reason to try and end the fighting between them. But she was now gone also snuffed out by a cruel twist of fate using Akeno as the means.
Ddriag then looked and saw a younger Dragon no more than a hatchling with a young girl as Ddraig was wide eyed as well at this new information. "An Inheriting Gear?" He asked as he saw this with his own eyes from the Astral Plains.
(Later with Issei)
After what happened with Akeno, Issei went back into the main building, and sat down at the dinner table. He then took a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and put it between his teeth. "I thought you quit that stuff!" He heard Koneko yell at him.
He sighed, and said, "I did, but, then I thought about it, and I decided that I don't want to quit. Besides, I smoke at least once a week, remember?"
Koneko responded with, "Does that really change anything? Also, thanks for not letting Akeno kill me." Issei chuckled a bit even with such a morbid thought.
"No problem."
"I just want you to be the Mega Perv I once knew though." Koneko said to herself as she really missed that Issei as she learned you never truly appreciate something until it's gone.
Koneko then sat next to Issei, looking down at her own lap. "Hey, Issei?" She asked.
"Yeah?" The other man responded. "Why do you keep a gun in your room?" Issei's eyes widened, knowing full well what Koneko was talking about, but not wanting to admit to it.
"I don't know what you-" He was interrupted by Koneko.
"I know that you have a gun. It's a Walther PP, fully loaded with holy bullets, and hidden under your bed. I know this because I was sweeping, and when I accidentally dropped my phone on the floor, I went down to pick it up, and saw the gun. Issei, were you planning, are you planning, to shoot yourself?" She asked, very cautiously.
"I keep the gun just in case someone uninvited comes in." Issei said, with a rising anger.
"Bullshit. I read about those guys you put down why would you need a gun when you have a Sacred Gear on your side." Koneko accused as she was getting tired of Issei trying to hide it.
Angered beyond all belief, Issei knocked the coffee mug that Koneko was drinking from out of her hands, smashing it into tiny pieces on the floor. "Issei that was my favorite mug." Issei angrily got up, and began to walk away, but not before turning around to say to Koneko, "Stay out of my shit." And with that, he left.
He went to his room, took off his clothes, grabbed a towel, went to the bathroom, and got into the shower. He turned on the shower, and let the hot water caress his body. For the longest time, all he did was just stand in the shower. Issei looked at his left arm and wondered if it was possible for Ddraig to leave his body but he knew that would only happen when he dies. But he knew Koneko was straight on point that Holy Bullet was for himself not any intruder as he then saw Asia and Xenovia in the bath with him not even bothered by them here.
"Issei you got hurt today are you going to be ok?" Asia asked as Issei smiled sadly at Asia who was younger then him in his eyes at the age she had died.
"Issei you may be the Red Dragon Emperor but you need to be careful I can't have the future father of my heirs die before leaving with me a child." Xenovia said as she was washing Issei's back while Asia was to his chest trying to ease his pain.
"I know…" Issei began as tears began to mix with the water. "But… you guys aren't really here or real." Issei said sadly as Asia and Xenovia were then gone from his sight as Issei clenched his fists in his hatred for himself.
After a lengthy shower, Issei got dressed in his usual attire, consisting of a suit-coat, a white dress shirt, and black jeans, and began to leave to go to work, back in the city.
As he was leaving, and after assuring Koneko he'd be back by noon the next day, he decided to go and talk to Akeno before he left. Taking the exit that would lead him to the tank, he opened the door to the location of his friend, and found her lying wide awake, and with the television that Sirzechs had given them years ago. "Hey. I wanted to check on you before I left." He said.
This made Akeno smile, genuinely. "Thank you." She replied happy to see Issei still cared for them even after it had become so hard for him to show it.
"I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about earlier. Trust me, I want nothing more than for all of us to get out of this place. And since I've been saving up money from my job in the city, we'll soon be able to live out the plan that Koneko and I came up with. You know, to get us all on a boat. What do you think?" This made Akeno smile even bigger.
"Sounds wonderful. But what about the girl?" Issei's kind smile turned into an expression of confusion.
"Girl? What girl?" HE asked as the only girls here were Koneko and Akeno herself.
Akeno laughed, and said, "The one that's waiting for you. We've been communicating for days, now. She's coming with, right?"
Issei knew that there was no girl, and that there was no one that Akeno had communicated with via her Astral Plane in ages. But, at the same time, he didn't want to strike an argument with her, so he nodded his head. "Sure, she can come." Akeno then closed her eyes, and said one word before drifting off to sleep: "Good."
Having done everything that he needed to do at home, Issei got into his car, and drove back into the city, returning to his job as a chauffeur. The night was mostly uneventful, but still memorable in its own right.
(Scene Break that Night Phoenix)
At one point, he drove the Wolfman family to a hotel, where they were quiet for most of the time. He also drove a couple of college boys across the border, who were all standing on the seats, yelling "U.S.A" over and over again as they stood through the sunroof not even caring there driver was Japanese but hey idiot kids will be idiots but Issei won't deny they reminded him of himself, and his two perverted friends back in the day.
But the most memorable to Issei was when he drove a group of teenage girls to prom. They were all sitting, chatting amongst themselves, and laughing. At one point, a girl yelled directly at Issei, "Hey, driver! Take a look at these!" She proceeded to flash her breasts at Issei, causing all of the other girls to laugh harder, and Issei to roll his eyes. Now Issei would have killed for girls to do that to him but time and years change a man tragedy is also a cruel yet excellent teacher on maturity.
"What, you don't like what you see?" The girl asked, as she pulled up her gown.
"Well, you see, I'm not really interested in young girls acting like women. That, and my heart already belongs to the most perfect woman in the world." This earned him the reaction of the girl's awing at him, and envying the lucky lady that had their driver's heart.
When he dropped off the girls at their prom, he received a text message on his phone. He took out his reading glasses, and put them on, proceeding to see what the text said. It read: "Request for a pickup from the Golden Age Motel. I'll pay good money!" Issei got back into his car, and thought about it. "Well, I better go find out how much they're paying. Maybe it'll be a lot. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking." After a few minutes of thinking about it, he drove to the motel, hopeful that this potential client would live up to his or her promise.
As he drove to the motel, he decided to make a call that he had wanted to make for a while. He pulled out his iPhone, put in the number he saw in the papers, which was alongside an ad for a Sunseeker boat. As soon as the number went straight to voicemail, which was what Issei expected, he began to speak. "Hello. Uh, this is Issei Hyoudou. I'm calling in about a Sunseeker boat that I saw an ad for in the paper a while back, and I was thinking of buying it. I mostly have the money, but I need a little more time to get the necessary amount to pay for it. I wanted to buy it as a gift for my sister and brother. Also, no paperwork. I'm not the biggest fan of paperwork. So, call me when you get this. Goodbye." After saying that, he hung up, and continued to drive.
(Scene Break Golden Age Motel)
When he arrived at the motel, Issei saw the same little girl from the funeral just standing in the parking lot, playing with a ball of some sort. After he parked, he already knew who wanted him for a job, and his suspicions were confirmed when the woman from the funeral earlier that day, Gabriella, he believed her name was, if what Sullivan talked to him about was anything to go by, came out of her room, and began walking toward him. "Please, señor, we need your help!" Issei began walking back to his car, until the woman grabbed him by the arm, and stopped him. She was a lot stronger than she looked.
"Please!" Issei's expression turned angry very quickly, and he pulled his arm away from her with just enough force.
"Look, lady, you are really fucking up my life right now! The people after you, whoever the Hell they are, they're on my ass, now!"
Gabriella then calmly said, "Look, we need to get out of here. We need to be taken to North Dakota. And we need protection. And when I heard that someone who looked like the Red Dragon Emperor was driving around El Paso, I decided to come and find you. And now I have, and I'm asking you to drive us to where we need to go." Issei's eyes widened at the fact he was caught red handed here.
"No. I'm not driving you to fucking North Dakota!" Issei countered as he turned around to walk back to his car as honestly he didn't care anymore since he doesn't take Contracts anymore either.
"I'll give you 50000 dollars, if you drive us." Gabriella pleased as almost automatically, Issei walked back over to Gabriella.
"There's no way you have that kind of money." He said as that shouldn't be possible in Issei's mind at all.
"I do. And if you listen to me, I'll show you." She said as Issei saw she was prepared to put her money where her mouth is here.
Issei opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of a crash. Both looked over, and saw the little girl standing in the parking lot near a now broken window, tensed up, and missing her ball. "Hey!" A voice said. Issei then saw who the voice belonged to: an older obese woman walking out of her office, possibly meaning that she was the manager of the motel, and toward the little girl. "I told you not to play with that damn thing in the parking lot! Mamasita's gonna have to pay for that!" She said with a southern accent. As she neared the little girl, Gabriella got in front of her, and tried to stop her with her hands, protesting all the while.
"Please! Just leave her alone! It was an accident, and she didn't know any better!" She attempted to reason with the manager some more, but her efforts were in vain.
"Get the fuck off me!" The manager said as she shoved Gabriella to the ground, the latter landing on some of the shattered glass from the window, and getting cuts on her hands. Of course the girl looked very angry at that as she clenched her fists with a small black/crimson glow starting to produce from her hands with her left hand also giving a small emerald glow as if she was ready to attack. Issei of course failed to notice this as he stepped in to stop it.
Issei immediately rushed over to Gabriella, looking at the wounds on her hands. The manager then focused her attention on Issei. "I told her and her damn kid to stop playing in the parking lot with that ball! Now they gotta pay for it. Besides, they have money. I've seen it!" Diverting his attention from the wounds to the manager, Issei said, with a surprising calmness in his voice, "Look, just go back into your office, and let us deal with this later, alright? She'll get your money." This seemed to satisfy the manager, who left in a huff. Issei then helped Gabriella back up, who looked into his eyes, and said, "Come with me. I will show you the money." Issei helped Gabriella back to the room she said was hers, and set her on the bed as the girl seemed to have calmed down from that experience there. In the room, Issei saw a plentiful of Highschool DxD Manga as well as Highschool DXD Light Novels with a few child friendly Doujin as Issei saw an Otaku in the making. He also noticed a few Gundam Toys here and there a he even saw some Gunpla build sets that have gone unopen no doubt to be opened when the girl was safe.
"I'm a nurse… was a nurse." Gabriella began as he was injured at her arm. "Back in Mexico City." Gabriella said as she tried to handle the pain.
"When did this happen?" Issei asked looking to the injuries.
"In Mexico City, near the border. I got away now they know I'm with her." Gabriella said as she told Issei how this happened to her and both where and when the injuries happened to her today.
Issei also saw that there were a few American comic books here and there as he also saw some of them were with the girl as they seemed focus on certain well 'attractive,' characters and leave it at that. He picked one up, and began to flip the pages. "You read these?" He asked. The woman nodded, and grabbed a bag that was hidden under the bed. She opened the bag, and what Issei saw amazed him. 'Holy shit. She does have a lot of money. That could be enough to pay for the boat!' He thought to himself. With this money Issei assumed he could also have enough left over for them to live off of for a bit if he added it to the money they already had prior to this job.
"You need to get us to North Dakota the men who did this to me, they are going to kill me, and they want to take her." Gabriella explained as she pointed to the girl.
"That's your daughter?" Issei asked as he tried to ignore the girl and the thoughts she pulled out mainly the ones involving Rias.
"Y-yes." Gabriella said hesitant for a bit like she was hiding something.
Issei thought it over for a bit as he looked at the money, the girl, Gabriella, and the address as once he decided on what to do he turned his attention to the woman in question. "So, let me get this straight: I drive you to North Dakota, I get payed 50000 dollars for the job, correct?" Gabriella nodded her head. "Alright. I'll drive you. But if I get you there, you follow through with your offer, and never come near me, again. Understood?" Issei asked as he looked to the woman as he wanted to end this and get his boat.
Gabriella continued to nod her head, and also said, "Sí, señor."
"Good, then we've come to an understanding. But first, I need to do something. So, I'll be back tomorrow." Issei said as he had to make sure the others knew where he would be and also make sure Akeno had enough of her meds to last her his trip to North Dakota.
After bandaging Gabriella's wounds, Issei left the motel room, got into his car, and got into his car. As he began to drive away, he saw the little girl in the car mirror, just standing near the hotel room, watching him drive away.
When he returned home, he saw that all of the lights were off, meaning that Koneko was asleep. Hopefully, Akeno was still asleep. It was then that he realized how tired he was, and how he needed sleep, especially considering the drive from El Paso to North Dakota was over thirteen hundred miles. So, he made the decision to go to sleep, but not before grabbing a beer from the fridge. As he crawled into bed, turning off the lights before he did so, he opened the beer can, and began to drink. As soon as he was finished, he closed his eyes, trying to sleep, which was made harder by the sound of a train rumbling as it passed by. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, in the hopes that he would dream again about the mountains and how he and his friends had gone there to train in order to fight Rizer and later to help Rizer get his old mojo back. Issei wouldn't admit it but after he beat Rizer and helped him get back to his old self the guy wasn't so bad he was a great pervert friend and a good drinking buddy.
Rias wouldn't admit it but with the progress Rizer made with Issei Rias may not ever love Rizer but she could call him a friend at the very least. Now that Issei thought about it Rizer was trying for another arranged marriage but with Ravel and another pureblooded Devil after the two are given a chance to get to know each other unlike him and Rias and also the chance to bond.
Issei often wondered how Ravel and Rizer were doing as well as Vali and the other Supernatural friends he made. He assumed the Gremory family hated him for what happened to Rias that fateful day. For now Issei was content with his dreams where he was with his friends as if nothing bad had ever happened to any of them.
(Scene Break the next Day)
When he woke up the next morning, Issei automatically got dressed, dealt with his personal hygiene, and went into the 'living room' to talk to Koneko about his departure. He found Koneko making a cup of coffee, and walked up to her. "Come to apologize for breaking my mug?" She asked still a bit peeved about that.
"No. I have to leave for a few days. I'm driving a client somewhere far." Issei responded. "How far?" Koneko asked a bit worried since if Akeno has a Seizure or a stroke they were both screwed.
Issei sighed seeing the worry Koneko held inside over Akeno's condition. "North Dakota." He said, almost hesitantly.
"Why there, on second thought never mind it's probably worthy big money for us or it better be worth it. If that's the case, then you might wanna talk to Akeno about it." Koneko said as the warning was evident in her voice if this turned out to be a waste of time Issei will regret it very quickly to boot.
Issei then walked toward the exit, and looked back at Koneko before opening the door. "That's the plan!" Issei called as he left the room to Akeno's 'room.'
He made his way into the tank after unlocking the door, and found Akeno up, and out of bed, sitting on a couch, and staring blankly at the television Sirzechs had bought them a long time ago. Her long stare was broken by the sound of him opening the door, and closing it. He walked over to where she was, and sat next to her. "You're going away, aren't you?" She asked, no emotion in her voice.
"You know me so well. It'll just be for a couple of days. I'll be back before you know it." Issei said before he got a text Message from Gabrielle.
At that moment, he got a text, and took out his reading glasses to see what it said. It was, obviously, from Gabriella. The text read, "Please, hurry." He responded back with, "I'm on my way. Leaving shortly." He hit the 'send' button, and looked back at Akeno. "I like when you wear those. They make you look younger. You know, if you cut your hair, shaved, had the same spiky hair, and weren't wearing your school uniform from Kuoh Academy." Akeno said as Issei laughed at her comment as Kuoh Academy felt like a life time ago.
"Anyway, I'll be gone for a couple of days. When I get back, we'll have the money that we need to get outta here, okay? Koneko's gonna take care of you. Don't give her too much shit, okay?" Issei said but he already knew Akeno wouldn't harm Koneko on purpose as obviously Akeno nodded her head in response.
Issei got up to leave. He opened the door leading out of the tank, went outside, closed the door, and locked it again. He then went back into the main area, deciding to tell Wally what he needed her to do. "Koneko, keep her safe, okay? If you go in there, you make sure to-"
"I know, I know. We've gone over this a thousand times but I've known her longer then you have Issei so I know how to handle her." Koneko said as Issei smirked to Koneko on that knowing already.
"Glad to see you're adjusting." Issei said as Koneko nodded to that as Issei began to leave having done everything he needed to do, and once Issei was out he, got into the car, and drove to the Motel unaware that things were about to change for him big time.
(TBC)
ESKK: Hey everyone hope you all liked it. Now before we begin this is more of a starting point to a whole knew DXD story that acts like a next gen sort of thing. Now as you may not know this arc of the story will tell of the birth of the new Gremory Peerage as Issei tries to get the girl to North Dakota where an old friend will be waiting for them at the Border. The reason I had Issei, Koneko, and Asia go to the USA is simple… the states are bigger then Japan so yeah. Anyway please leave a review on your way out and remember like always ja ne.