Chapter 3: Tricks

After getting Uliah to lie down in his room, Shiro immediately went to the kitchen and called Mephisto on his emergency phone. The moment he dropped the word 'angel', the demon appeared in front of him in a puff of pink smoke. Trundles of it rolled off of him as he snapped the pink flip phone that was weighed down by dozens of charms shut. His usually good-humored expression was dead serious as he regarded Shiro from across the room with his droopy eyes. It was clear they had a problem on their hands.

Once they settled down at the table with some tea and sweets Mephisto had procured seemingly out of thin air, they began to talk. Soon, Shiro had the demon fully up to speed. It seemed to have relaxed him somewhat.

"Where is the angel now?" Mephisto inquired as he dipped a chocolate drizzled biscuit into his steaming cup of tea.

"She's in my room, trying to get some sleep." Said Shiro, as he warmed his hands with his own cup.

Mephisto smiled then, his green eyes lighting with mischief.

"Shiro, tut, tut. One naked woman falls from the sky and she's already in your bed? I thought you were more or less a gentleman." The demon teased, wagging his finger at the priest.

"It's not like that!" Shiro barked, slamming his fists on the table and looking like he was about to strangle Mephisto. The demon was one of the few who knew how to rile him up.

"You really shouldn't protest so much, you know? People might not believe you," said Mephisto before taking a bite of the tea-soaked sweet he held between his fingers. "Anywho, there's really only one question we should be asking ourselves right now and that is: why was she sent here?"

"I doubt we're going to find out," answered Shiro, somewhat gloomily. Matters involving Heaven were always shrouded in mystery and oftentimes never explained. The exorcist knew that was pretty much how the Big Guy worked.

Mephisto, on the other hand, seemed less defeated. Tapping his gloved finger against his lower lip, he glanced up at the ceiling in thought. "Hmm, I suppose you could say it doesn't really matter then."

"How is that?" Inquired Shiro.

"Well, if she doesn't remember her purpose in Assiah, then there's a chance she can be swayed to one side or the other. It wouldn't be bad having an angel around in the future, especially if she's an archangel as you say. At the very least, it would be something the Vatican could not ignore."

"And if she's truly fallen from grace, what then?"

"You seem to think that matters." Mephisto said, nonchalantly taking another sip of his tea. "Fallen or not, either way, she could be useful."

Shiro knew Mephisto had a point, but he still would prefer Uliah to not have been cast out like Satan.

"You do realize what a prime target she is, don't you Shiro? Demons of all kinds will want a piece of her."

"Yes, I know. That is why she must be protected. I cannot keep her here at the monastery, not while I have Rin and Yukio. There needs to be as little attention drawn to them as possible."

Mephisto smiled then, his sharp teeth seemingly more prominent than usual. "So you want me to take her in?" He asked, knowing what Shiro was suggesting.

The priest cracked a damn-near wily grin, knowing how skeptical Mephisto would be about this arrangement. "It would only be for a little while, just until she's gained her footing. Besides, who better than you to teach her about life in Assiah?"

It was true that Mephisto loved humans, but throwing an angel and a demon together? They'd constantly fight like cats and dogs. Especially if Shiro was right and she was sent here for a purpose other than punishment.

"I'm sorry, Shiro, but I'm not interested in involving myself in this. I'm sure she will have her own reservations about it as well."

"Really? A betting man like you would turn down an opportunity like this? I'm surprised, my friend," the priest goaded as he nonchalantly took a sip from his mug.

"You shouldn't be. I have plenty of responsibility as it is at the academy." The demon explained, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I suppose you're right though I'm somewhat disappointed. The school would have been a good place for her to adapt in. I suppose she'll just have to take her chances. It's a shame that an elegant creature like her should suffer such a tragedy," sighed Shiro.

Hearing the words 'elegant creature' and 'tragedy', Mephisto's ears suddenly perked up. There were two things in this world the demon simply could not resist- elegant women and high drama. Seeing his expression change, Shiro knew he had Mephisto right where he wanted him.

"Now, you may have a point there," Mephisto began, the gears turning in his head. "With my wards and safeguards, the academy is clearly the safest place for her. Because I'm feeling generous, I suppose I could take her off of your hands. Maybe assign her a desk job in administration or something. After all, I wouldn't want you to have your hands too full with Rin and Yukio."

Shiro grinned politely then, trying his best not to break out into a full-on victory smile.

"Thanks, my friend."

"It's nothing. Just know you owe me one," he warned, casting the priest a weary sidelong glance.

AN: REVIEW FAVOR FOLLOW! Hello everyone! Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm thinking of writing a story about Igor Nuehaus (the teacher with the eyepatch and giant grafting compass *a great look for engineers everywhere*) because he's actually a really awesome, complex character. ALSO there's only 4 archived stories about him, which I find strange... where is the love, man? If anyone is interested or has any opinions on this, let me know. Most likely will be a one shot or two-parter.