Chapter 7: Barrelroll

Issei went through class after class on autopilot, not really paying attention and not taking notes. When Rias saw him in the hallway and seen the glassy look in his eyes she knew something was wrong. With a nod to Akeno they steered him to the old school building and to their clubroom. When they had him sat down Akeno took his hand Rias just held him.

"It's ok Issei-chan...I'm here…" Rias's voice was soothing.

"What's wrong Issei-chan?" Akeno talked to him as you would a wounded animal.

"...My parents…" Thats all he had to say.

"Its ok...your apart of my family now. And you will be forever." Rias just held him as she scowled. 'Whoever did this to him will pay!' A nod to Akeno made the Priestess of Thunder nod and gather a dark look as well.

"Yes...and we'll never leave you." Akeno kissed his forehead.

"...Really?" His voice was timid, the fear was showing.

"Yes, really...would you like to set the marriage date soon?" It was taking all her willpower to not have the anger in her tone of voice.

"And then you can marry me next." Akeno sounded cheerful, but was smouldering on the inside.

"A-Are you sure?" He looked at her with fearful eyes.

"Yes I am." Akeno gave him a kind look.

Both of the girls held him as he just cried, each gaze they had held promise of death for the one who hurt the most important man in their life.

xXXx

Two figures approached the academy gates dressed in white cloaks that looked identical. One could say that they were cosplayers, because of the oversized sword that one was carrying, but the way that they were walking said that they were trained warriors. Sona stopped when they stopped in front of her, her Queen preparing a spell.

"We need to talk to all the devil heads here in this town." The one with the large sword said in an almost monotone.

"Please? I swear by our Lord in Heaven that we will not attack you and your kind while we are on this most important mission." The other one sounded honest and the sword bearing one just looked to the honest one.

"It is agreed." Sona looked to them. "I am Sona Sitri from the house of Sitri."

"I am Tsubaki Shinra, Sona's Queen." She said, dissipating her spell.

"I'm Irina Shidou and this is Xenovia." The blonde haired lady in the cloak introduced herself and her sword wielding comrade.

"I will let Rias know." Tsubaki turned and left.

"While you are here know that you will be watched...but you're now under the protection of the house of Sitri." Sona let the church duo know as she turned and lead them to the old school building.

"We do not need your 'protection'. Just your word." Xenovia just looked at the devil.

"All the same, you have it." Sona didn't let the irritation show in her voice.

Irina gave a look to her comrade. "I'm sorry about how my companion is acting, but the mission we're on is of high importance."

"Its ok, usually when one of your kind come here its to try to take our holdings in the mortal realm. This is strange that you want to talk instead." Sona lead them to the old school building.

"Well we're here to get some assurances..."

"Save it till we have the other head sat down." Xenovia scowled at Irina.

'In-fighting in the church? This is interesting indeed...' Sona hid her small smile.

xXXx

[Flashback]

The balding uncle looked down to his scared nephew.

"That cow is at least dead. That's the only good thing that came from that robbery." He watched the now nine year old boy to see what he would do.

"My parents-" He struck the boy across the cheek with his cane.

"If I say say she was a cow, then she was a no good cow! You're the reason why their dead, think about that every day." He beat on him a few more times.

'Kill him!' Ddrag was outraged at the treatment of his partner.

'NO! He is the only family I have left!' Tears coming from his eyes.

"No crying! Only weaklings cry." He caned him three more times.

'You should kill him. If you don't he might kill you. And I can't have that child.' The dragon had a caring tone in his voice. 'You are like my own...child. And if I had mortal form I would have killed that man already. At the age of adulthood or near enough...leave. Or he will kill you.' The dragon had a pleading tone.

'I will...I just want to know why he hated my parents so much...' He cried more.

"You're not even worth beating. The son of a loser and a cow." The Uncle spat on him and left him to bandage his own wounds.

'I will get out of here...with my kindness intact. I'll see Akeno tomorrow...she makes me feel better...I just wish her parents could adopt me...or someone else...anyone else...'

'Child, by talking to me you are keeping your sanity...as well as your kindness. And for you to realize this means you are smarter than both you and that man realizes.'

'He's my only family...and he hates me.'

[End Flashback]

xXXx

Tsubaki walked to the door of the Occult Research Club and was about to knock when the door suddenly opened to reveal an angry looking Akeno. 'What has her angry?'

"To what do we owe the honour?" Akeno scowled.

"Two representatives of the church want to talk to Sona and Rias." Tsubaki had a neutral tone.

"When?" Akeno looked to Rias, who was still holding Issei.

"They are on their way now." Tsubaki looked over to Issei curiously.

"Then we shall prepare. You may have a seat." The anger leaving the surface, but Tsubaki knew she was still smouldering.

Rias moved him to the teleportation circle and nodded to Akeno. "Take him home...he needs to rest."

"At once...do you want me to stay with him?" Akeno looked like she wanted to hunt down the one that had hurt him.

"Please...I'll be home as soon as possible." Rias looked at her pleadingly.

"I will stay with him." Akeno looked at him as the anger drained out of her and her actions.

In a flash of light Issei and Akeno were gone. When the door opened again Sona walked in with Xenovia and Irina. Koneko, Kiba, Asia, and Ravel teleported into the clubroom, Koneko and Asia looked troubled. Kiba was neutral till he saw the sword bearers, and Ravel looked confused.

"Who invited them?"

"They have a message...which now that you are here, we can hear." Tsubaki looked to Rias's peerage.

"We have come to ask that you stay out of our way. We are on a most holy mission to destroy four of the seven Excaliburs." Xenovia had a no nonsense tone and looked seriously at the devils.

"I want in." Kiba looked to Irina's shocked expression.

"I have a good idea why a devil wants to destroy a holy relic, but your-"

"You have no idea what was done to me...I must destroy them. All." Kiba looked hard at them.

"What was done to you?" Irina gave a look to Xenovia to quiet her.

"Too many things...all in the name of God..." The pain was palatable in his voice.

"You're a survivor of the holy sword project..." Xenovia looked at Kiba in a new light.

"No...I didn't survive." The finality in his voice sent shivers down Ravel's spine.

"If you would have come to us-"

"It would've been too late. The church never listens to devils." The hate in his voice was strong.

"Agreed. And you have my word that we will not hinder you while you are on your quest." Rias silenced everyone with the statement.

"As none from my house will hinder you." Sona looked to the duo from the church.

"Now that we have your word-"

"I said we wouldn't hinder you...I said nothing about not helping you." Rias smiled to Sona who also had a small smile of her own.

"Here's the intelligence we have so far. Four of the swords was stolen, two from an eastern orthodox cathedral, and two from Notre Dame. We have had our familiars looking for any odd people. And before you ask, this is our territory, we defend it." Sona looked at the sword bearers.

"We think Kokabiel is involved...which means he wants to start a war." Rias looked to Asia.

"One of the fallen angels leaders? We had guessed that but how did you..." Irina followed the gaze to Asia.

"I see the witch is here." That comment made everyone but Ravel angry.

"All she was was just a girl that wanted some friends...and as soon as she healed a devil she was ousted." Kiba stood in front of her.

"The fallen ones took her in, but for their own misguided ambitions. When I reincarnated her, it was to help a friend." Rias had an icy tone in her voice.

Sensing that if another thing was said, their shaky truce would crumble, Irina silenced Xenovia.

"We are very sorry. Now that we are allies for the moment, we will listen to what you have to say." Irina bowed to the Crimson Princess of Destruction.

"We'll split into four groups." Sona looked to the Missionaries.

xXXx

Akeno held Issei's sleeping form, as if guarding him from the evils of the world. 'I've known for some time that an arranged marriage would eventually happen...after all it's all about how many moves you can make. But I have a feeling that even if I was what I was before I had died...father would have approved of him.' She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. She then remembered how she had died.

"So...you are to be but one of his brides?" A green glow got her attention. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Yes." She knew who she was talking to.

"He is like my own hatchling...and just like a hatchling he needs guidance. He needs to stop being like...this. If he doesn't change, and someone finds out about this, that will be the end of him...especially if the White one found out. He would stop at nothing to see him fight or to break him, or kill him. Promise me that you will help him." The dragon sounded almost pleading.

"I promise...and I'll have the others help me." She looked like she was staring into nothing.

"Then I will hold you to it, Priestess of Thunder." The rumbling of the dragon seemed to reverberate through her.

As the green glow died down she kissed his forehead lovingly. 'I promise I won't let you die...the same way I did...'

xXx

Kiba was walking along with one of the church duo. The third person that had joined them was from the House of Sitri, a pawn. He looked like a normal kid but if he had been reincarnated, there must be something special about him.

"You're both quiet..." He looked to Kiba and then to the giant sword wielder.

"Silence." She turned a glare onto him.

"Sheesh..."

"If I had my way I'd take both of your heads...but we are currently working together." The green haired swords woman kept her glare on him.

"Hey! We're working together for the greater good...lets keep things civil." Kiba stopped as what seemed to be another missionary was running toward them.

"H-Help! M-" He didn't get to finish as a sword was shoved through his chest.

"Ahhhh...I love the vengeful ways of my Lord..." The lunatic looked down to the missionary and kissed him on the forehead. "You are forgiven my son."

"Freed...looks like you have a new blade." Kiba pulled his Holy Easier as Xenovia pulled her blade.

"It's the same shitty devil...how your an eyesore, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN!" The man in the white coat looked enraged and was about to attack.

Then the strangest thing happened, a black cable was attached to his arm and Freed was feeling so weak. If you followed the cable it was attached to what seemed to be a black salamander that was attached to the kids arm.

"For one that walks a holy path, you have fallen from grace." An old man stepped from the shadows.

When Kiba saw this he lept in an attack in a blink of an eye. The only thing that saved the old man was a shield of holy light.

"Freed...Touch the sword to that tongue." The old man instructed. Freed did as he was told and the cable dissipated, he was still weakened, but the kid that was doing it seemed hurt as well.

"That sword isn't yours." Xenovia charged the lunatic exorcist.

"Come now...looks like we have lost this one Freed, their friends are on their way." The old man took something from his pocket.

"COVER YOUR EYES!" Kiba did so, but the others didn't.

The holy flash-bang went off, the kid was on the ground in pain. Kiba still felt the holy energy go off, and brought his sword down on the old man.

The green haired swords woman brought down her blade, only to hit nothing but air.

When their eyesight returned their enemies were gone, the only thing remaining was Kiba's anger.

"Where do you think they'll go?" Xenovia looked to Kiba as he fumed.

"I don't know...The church?" The kid answered.

"They probably won't use that place...it's to obvious." Kiba looked at them with smouldering eyes.

"Lets go." The swords woman turned and was about to leave.

"Hey man...It's o-"

"No it's not. I failed them." He took off in a different direction, anger giving way to sadness.

"Let us get back with the others." Xenovia had less of a commanding tone.

"Alright..." The kid looked to her and didn't argue.

xXx

When Issei moved again he found he couldn't, the black hair told him who it was. She was crying in her sleep and holding him close.

"M-Mother..." He slowly petted her hair.

"Shhh...I'm here..." She slowly calmed down and just held him.

"Issei..." Her wings popped and wrapped around both of them.

He recognized the bat like wing of the devils...the other wing was that of a fallen angel. He still held her till she started waking up. When she saw her wings she started to panic.

"Issei! I-"

"It's ok...You are you." He gave her an accepting smile.

"But..." She looked away as if in shame.

"We all come from somewhere Akeno. You're not like them, you don't use people." He rubbed her back.

"...thank you..." She just held him close.

"What were you just dreaming about?" Her silence confirmed what he had been thinking.

"It was when my Mother and I...died." Her voice was monotone.

"I...know that pain." His was the same as hers.

She looked and saw in his eyes the same pain she had. 'He really does...' "I have to confess...I've known you from before. The reason you don't remember me is that when my father died...you witnessed it." She looked deep into his eyes and seen something click.

"You wiped my memory of it?"

"Yes...after you got away...I died a day later." She showed him her back where there was a large scar. It was kinda like his, only his was smaller on his stomach. She looked fragile from his eyes.

"I saw my parents shot in front of me...and then my Uncle reminded me of it everyday day I lived with him..." She saw the pain again as if it was fresh. "It's all my f-"

"No it's not!" She held his head and stared into his eyes. "How could a child be at fault? Did you have the gun in your hands?"

"No..." He sounded so small.

"Then your not to blame." She smiled at him through her tears. "Your not to blame."

"I'm...not?" He sounded unsure.

"You're not. The only way you could ever be blamed is if you held the gun. You didn't, so your not to blame." She just held him. "I missed you...so much."

"You did?"

"Yes...but since you were apart of my old life...I couldn't contact you." She sounded depressed.

"I'm here now..." His voice was shaky.

"...And forever shall we be together." She kissed him fully, Issei being caught by surprise.

Breathless they laid there in each others arms.

xXx

A/n: Yes it's been awhile for this one...but I did try to fix the spelling errors. R&R, and have a very nice day.