Chapter 2: Graduation (II)

The young couple spent the next few minutes searching the entire school campus for his uncle Saitama, making sure to keep an eye out for his famous bald head and plain face. Thankfully, their job was made even easier as the large crowd of families and students shrunk considerably from earlier. It didn't take a genius to realize people were antsy to head home and celebrate in a more private setting with friends or family. Issei may love his uncle and appreciate the man's willingness to help raise him, but he sighed as they finally caught sight of him flirting with a very, very good-looking female teacher.

[You know, your uncle has a big pair of balls for trying his luck with Gabriel, an angel, and you-know-who's younger sister.] Ddraig roared in laughter at the flirty conversation taking place between an ordinary human and a powerful angel, who seems to be showing some level of interest in the young man's uncle. [Do you give him a chance with her?]

Issei started thinking about his uncle's chances with an ultra-powerful angel, 'You know, my uncle has some pretty damn good luck with women. It's just he somehow manages to squander any relationship in the long run. Look what happened with Fubuki. Don't know how he can get any girl better than her, but this might be a decent chance for him..'

[Your mate might be thinking the same damn thing if the little smile on her face is any indication of her so-called 'shipping' tingles.] Ddraig was still getting accustomed to human culture. He knew Rias was an avid fan of Japanese culture, which included stuff like anime and manga. [Jesus, I feel so damn dirty for saying those words.]

Even if Ddraig didn't have a physical body following his death against the three Christian factions, that didn't prevent the once-mighty dragon from feeling joy, pain, disgust, or even anger. Issei felt the surge of emotions and agreed with his partner.

'She knows Gabriel far better than me. I've had like what? A few conversations with Michael's sister,' Issei knew she was ranked as the most beautiful woman among the angels. Apparently, this didn't stop a few devils, fallen angels, or other mythical beings from trying their luck with her. Most were pretty much rejected on the spot, but her kindness made it difficult for anyone to hold any grudge against the woman.

He felt a slight pull on his uniform jacket, "Hmm?"

"Babe, do you think we should leave him alone? He seems to be getting pretty far with Gabriel. They even seem to be having a conversation as well," Rias seemed conflicted about going over there and ruining his uncle's chances of getting a hot date with someone like her. The redhead was well-aware of the man's poor luck maintaining his relationships throughout the past two years.

Issei rubbed the back of his neck as he observed the same scene and tried to seem optimistic for once in his life, "They're laughing and smiling. That's a pretty good sign, right?"

"Gabriel said she's open to dating, even if they might be human if I remember correctly. If I had to bet money, I think your uncle is going to use his 'supernatural luck' with Gabriel."

"Maybe he does have supernatural luck," Issei couldn't resist the smile from growing on his face as he saw Gabriel take a few steps towards his uncle and closed the distance between them. The gorgeous blonde reached into the man's pocket and took his phone out. Within a few moments, the angel placed her phone number into his uncle's phone.

Her final action helped confirm there might be something brewing between them. A simple kiss on the cheek was enough to make Issei feel happy for his uncle, who seemed a bit surprised by the woman's action. Other than saying he was going to give her a call, the bald man seemed to be in disbelief about what just happened.

"...Damn, she got a nice ass."

Those final words from his uncle nearly caused Issei to burst out laughing. Other than his body getting a slight makeover, the most dramatic change was his senses. Hearing, touch, vision, taste, and smell all seem to be cranked into overdrive. The tiniest pins could sound like a bomb exploding or smelling old perfume on Rias for weeks after she last used it. Luckily, Ddraig and Rias helped him gain control over them.

[Your uncle is lucky Gabriel didn't hear that. The last time I heard someone say those kinds of words towards her was turned into dust by Michael.] Ddraig was relieved to know Issei's uncle was going to live another day.

As if hearing the words from directly inside his soul, the gorgeous blonde angel stopped walking away from his uncle. Gabriel turned to face his uncle and flashed a rather seductive smile for a woman that's supposed to be holy and shit. These next few words would forever change these three (four if counting puff the magical dragon sealed inside Issei) people…

"Maybe if you play your cards right, Saitama...you'll get to see it."

Even from a distance, Issei and Rias could see the slight blush on Gabriel's face. The same expression could be seen on his uncle's face as he was caught off-guard by the response. Gabriel turned away and started walking away rather quickly. The young couple suspected the angel must have felt embarrassed for uttering those words in an attempt to appear sexy to Saitama.

[...You said something about your uncle having supernatural luck? Yeah, I think this incident just confirmed that. Seriously, I couldn't even do that if I pulled the 'big, strong dragon who enjoys a pure maiden' act in the old days.]

The young man's eyes blinked for a few moments before realizing what his partner said, 'Ddraig, what the hell did you do in your spare time back then?'

[Let's just say I've had my fair share of women. Being a dragon means possessing a human form is child's play for us. Now, Gabriel...I'd genuinely would kill anyone for a chance to bed a woman as fine as her. Let alone making her the mother of my children.] Ddraig grinned as he stared the backside of her, taking in the pleasant sight. The ancient dragon seemed almost unaware of the nervous look on Issei's face.

'Buddy, I'm torn between feeling scared or proud to learn you're a closet pervert like me,' Issei refused to mention any of this information to Rias or anyone. Whatever happened in his head, stays in his head. Or something terrible might happen. Thankfully, Ddraig never really bothered with speaking to Rias or anyone associated with the supernatural because they might be led to believe the overgrown lizard was just a lunatic.

Ddraig yelled out, [Hey! I am NOT an overgrown lizard, twerp!]

'Who the fuck still uses twerp as an insult in the twenty-first century? Get with the program, old man.'

[Sue me, asshole! I'm older than your entire family lineage.]

Issei let out a snort, catching Rias's attention. 'Your best come back is using your age. Jesus, Ddraig do you learn nothing from me, the master of insults. Such a shame.'

This little back and forth continued until Issei heard Rias call out to him, "Babe, are you arguing with Ddraig again?"

"What?" he said in mock surprise. "Where did you get that idea from?"

She had a blank look on her face, "You were quiet for the past few minutes and your facial expressions changed as if you were having a conversation with someone."

"...Rias, you're just seeing things."

"So you're not arguing with the giant, crimson gecko stuck in your soul?"

[Gecko! That little red-haired bi–] Ddraig wasn't allowed to finish his insult as Issei blocked out the noise from the dragon, muting the lizard for the moment.

Meanwhile, the desire to mess with his lovely girlfriend was a tempting idea, but their conversation had attracted the wrong kind of attention. Unknown to them, Saitama noticed his nephew and, future, niece-in-law. While walking over towards Issei and Rias, he caught the final question from Rias and raised an eyebrow at it.

Most family members might've tried to be subtle, wondering if they were misunderstanding something about the conversation. Saitama, unlike most people, shrugged his shoulders and decided to ask what was on his mind, "What's this about my nephew arguing with a giant, crimson gecko inside his soul?"

"Uhh…"

"Umm…"

Unfortunately, the two teenagers didn't know have much of an answer ready for Saitama. Quickly, they tried to come up with something. The first to try their luck was Issei. He had a reputation for being able to bullshit his way through any situation, including the successful attempts at avoiding detention or any other forms of punishment from the school.

"W-What?" Issei chuckled awkwardly, attempting to salvage the situation. "Crimson gecko? Where the hell did you get that from?"

His uncle gestured towards Rias, "She said it, right?"

"No, Rias never mentioned anything about a crimson gecko."

"You sure about that?" Saitama crossed his arms, staring at the teenagers with suspicion. "Cause I hope you're not lying to me."

Issei answered the question in a frantic manner, "No, uncle. We're talking about religion. Rias is going to write about some obscure cult that worships a crimson gecko."

"Quite a strange topic, Rias," he turned towards his future niece-in-law. "That still doesn't answer my question as to why you asked such a bizarre thing."

The crimson-haired devil glared at her boyfriend before answering him. "It's been a running joke ever since I got this assignment from my writing professor. She likes putting together a few odd papers here and there. Issei thought it was dumb and I like to annoy him with that question. Just a little fun between us."

There was one thought in Issei's head after hearing Rias quickly follow-up his story, 'Smooth, babe.'

[She is a devil. They are supposed to be good at lying, or most of them anyway.] Ddraig grumbled, still upset over being labeled as an overgrown lizard. He was the Red Dragon, a feared beast capable of leveling the island of Japan with nothing more than the flick of a wrist. Or, the wrist of his host. He demanded respect from those below him, not even his partner's mate can get away with such an insult.

In the real world, Issei was praying his uncle bought the phony-ass story and didn't ask too many more questions. Issei may be proud of his ability to worm his way out of trouble, but his uncle was far from stupid. The police can't exactly afford to have an incompetent detective in their ranks. Another solution could've been for Rias to use magic and simply make his uncle forget about this whole incident to save him from further complications. His girlfriend was quite the magic-user, which meant making his uncle forget about this conversation would be nothing more than child's play to her.

Back in the old days, Issei couldn't imagine magic being a real concept until his girlfriend could turn a boulder into nothing more than ash with a single blast from her specialty; destruction magic. She said it was a power that came from her mother's side. He learned about this whole thing before Ddraig woke up, which meant he was just a lowly human being at the time.

More than anything, Issei could never do such a thing to his uncle. Who knows if it might backfire?

Thankfully, there was no need to resort to such underhanded tactics. His uncle shook his head before muttering something about how kids these days are getting weird.

Afterward, the man dropped the topic and motioned towards the school gate.

"You guys wanna stop by a restaurant downtown?" Saitama offered them. "I think that's a decent way to end the day before I gotta go to work. Hell, I'll even pay for it."

"I can eat," Issei never passed up the chance to eat food. Considering his growth spurt between his first and second year, the boy's metabolism seem to have sped up. What used to satisfy him was nothing but a snack to him. "What about you, Rias?"

She gave a quick but polite answer, "I think it would be rude to reject such an offer. If you don't mind, of course, Saitama."

"Not at all," he shook his head. "In fact, it's the least I can do for you guys."

While they walked towards the gate, Issei felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He took it out and saw he received a message from Aika.

Aika: Sorry, my family was insistent about heading out. I told my brother about you. Says they can make use of you. I'll leave his number here; XXX-XXX-XXXX

He stared at the message for what felt like hours and came to a single conclusion, 'Guess life is trying to give me a sign.'

(X)

(Later that Day)

The conversation with Aika loomed in the back of his mind, wondering if it was the right move for him to accept this internship. He decided to think about it later. Instead, Issei focused on enjoying the rest of today with Rias, his friends (who decided to join them), and his uncle. On his phone, he kept many of their numbers saved. This was to keep in contact with everyone, especially considering no one knew what future awaited them down the road. Growing up was the inevitable truth about life. It meant even more responsibilities would be placed on everyone's back.

Nothing could change that truth. Even possessing the power of the Red Dragon Emperor did little to prevent it.

He sighed, 'And I say I'm not the sentimental type.'

Currently, the young couple was walking back to their apartment building as everyone decided to call it quits for the day. Issei may have finished high school, but he remembered his part-time job working for a certain fallen angel that was a bigger pervert than him. So when Issei saw the apartment building in the distance, he was more than happy to know a bed was within reach from his grasp.

After entering the building, the exhausted couple began walking up the flights of stairs. Ever since the beginning of his third year, Issei and Rias had been living together. Given her pure-blooded lineage, it meant Rias was able to make things happen like convincing her sister-in-law, Grayfia, to allow Issei to stay with her. Meanwhile, Saitama was quite supportive of the idea and allowed Issei to live with Rias, saying it was good practice for them down the road.

This little comment caused the two teenagers to blush in embarrassment.

Soon, they continued climbing up the stairs while trying to make as little noise as possible. Neither of them wanted to wake up their neighbors or cause a disturbance, especially considering the woman who lived next door to them was literally insane. A few minutes later, they reached the top floor and walked down the hallway towards their apartment unit.

The sound of keys reverberated throughout their empty apartment before the door quietly swung open, revealing the pair of exhausted lovers. Stepping inside their home for the past year, the lights seemingly turned on without anyone flipping a switch. Issei closed the door behind them and let out a brief yawn, "God, today went by so damn fast. I can't believe it. Can you?"

"Maybe because you had fun with everyone today," Rias placed her keys in a small tray and stretched her arms, unintentionally catching the attention of Issei as he caught the movement of her impressive bust. Unfortunately, the crimson-haired devil caught sight of her boyfriend staring and smirked, "You see something you like, babe?"

Issei didn't back down from her question and took a few steps towards her, closing the small distance between them. He gently placed his arms around her waist before pressing the crimson-haired devil gently against the nearby wall, "Sweetheart, I like everything that I see standing in front of me."

"Oh?" she said, keeping the smirk on her face. "Do tell."

There was a certain temptation to remove the clothes of this crimson-haired seductress in his arm and remind her about his status as the Red Dragon Emperor. However, Issei decided to go with a different route. He leaned down and whispered huskily into her ear, "Where to begin...I'll start with your long crimson hair. I could rattle off words like beautiful, gorgeous, or even breathtaking. No, those don't even come close to describing it. To me, it's nothing short of perfection. Just like the rest of you."

At first, the crimson-haired devil was taken back by the words. Yet, this was just the beginning as Issei seem to keep going. He moved his head back, staring into her aqua blue eyes, and placed a hand on her – now – blushing cheek.

"Even if you're a devil, I can't picture anyone in this world with a more angelic face. No other devil, angel, or fallen angel can come close to you," Issei saw her eyes widen in surprise from those words. He took a deep breath before continuing onward, "At this point, I don't think I can go a day without ever waking up to you in the morning. To see those big blue eyes and see the love in them. It made me realize how I can't live without you, Rias."

Rias expected something more straightforward from Issei. She asked him, "W-Where is all this coming from?"

"Today made me think about a lot," Issei wasn't lying about that. He thought about the future and what it may hold for them. Out of everything, the young man knew he wanted one thing to remain constant. Despite what may happen down the road, Rias being in his life was enough for him. "Believe me, I hardly think about anything unless it includes you, my music, or whatever seems to catch my interest. I-I guess what I'm trying to say is...you are my everything. I refuse to let anything or anyone change that."

To enter into a relationship with the Red Dragon Emperor meant their lives would never be normal. For Rias, she completely understood the reality of being with Issei. The possible danger from those seeking to challenge him, or threaten those who know him. Dragons are a rare species out in the real world, and it means they will protect what belongs to them. She knew once a dragon sunk their claws into anyone, the chances of being able to leave them were quite slim.

Did she truly care about that? Not really. Maybe her family did, but Rias wasn't too concerned about the opinions of her family.

Honestly, the crimson-haired devil couldn't be happier about the prospects of a long life with Issei. No telling what the future might bring for either of them. In a world as strange as theirs, being able to share it with someone special was all that mattered to them.

"Come on," Rias felt the tears building up in her eyes. She tried to stop it but failed as they streamed down her face. "Y-You're supposed to be a pervert, not some guy of a cheesy romance novel."

"To be fair, I'm a perverted dragon capable of nuking Japan."

Rias gave a watery smile, "You're my perverted dragon, though."

"Yeah, and this perverted dragon isn't finished talking..."

Slowly, Issei moved his hand away from her cheek and placed it against the top of her left breast. Just about anyone might have assumed he was trying to cope a feel, but Rias knew him better than anyone in this world. She waited with bated breath, wondering what Issei was about to say.

"You're defining trait is your heart," there was only honesty behind those words from him. The small smile on his face was quite evident of that. "To me, it doesn't matter if you're a devil. I've seen you treat angels and fallen angels, ancient enemies of your kind for centuries, with the same respect as others. You give people a second chance to prove themselves. Hell, someone as perfect as you was willing to give a former human like me a chance I didn't deserve in the slightest."

"...And, yet, you took that chance and I ended up falling in love with you," Rias tilted her head up. She briefly looked at his lips before leaning closer towards him.

Issei realized what she wanted and decided to meet her in the middle. As if continuing where they left off earlier in the day, neither wanted to take things slow. Instead, their lips crashed together in a frenzy as the emotions built up from the moment seem to overtake them. Rias, suddenly, was picked up from the ground and pressed into the wall a bit more.

The feeling of exhaustion seem to be forgotten by the couple. No, their focus was on each other until fate attempted to intervene by pouring cold water on them and waking them up. They heard a phone going off but promptly ignored it. As quickly as it rang, the phone went silent. The silence in the apartment was quickly destroyed by Rias moaning as she felt him placing kisses along her neck.

If there's something to be said about fate, it was stubborn as hell.

Issei felt his phone ringing in his back pocket, 'What the fuck!? Who the hell thinks it's a good time to call me?!'

He wanted to ignore the call, hoping the person would get the message and leave him alone. Much to his relief, the ringing stop and allowed him to focus back on the gorgeous redhead in his arms. Issei went back to leaving marks along Rias' neck, making sure everybody knew she belonged to him. The young man reached underneath her blouse and found his way to her impressive bust, still covered by her intricately designed bra, and began palming her chest through the bra, eliciting soft moans from Rias.

Then, his phone rang once more.

This caused Issei to leaned away from her neck before placing his head against Rias' shoulder. "Why can't people just let me make sweet love to my girl in peace," he muttered in frustration like a child being denied by their parents. "I swear, this better not be Azazel or I'm going to kill his ass tomorrow morning."

Rias giggled at her boyfriend's irritation, even with the crimson blush covering her face and panting a lot from the heavy make-out session between them. She placed a hand on his head and started playing with his dark brown hair. "It's okay, babe. Just answer the phone and get it done," the crimson-haired devil whispered into his ear in a calm manner.

He sighed, "Fine."

Reluctantly, the young man removed his hands from Rias and allowed his girlfriend to clean herself up a bit. She placed a hand on his chest and kissed him on the cheek, "Hurry up...I'm sure you wanna pick up where we left off."

Those words seem to resonate with his inner dragon as he watched Rias walk away, adding some sway to her hips to further entice him, or motivate him. Either one was a very acceptable answer. Personally, Issei didn't really care as his graduation was going to end with a bang. To be fair, most of their nights ended with them being hot, sweaty, and wearing no clothes by morning.

'I really am the luckiest dude in the world,' Issei grinned at the sight before taking his phone out. When he saw the caller ID, the grin disappeared and was replaced with a scowl.

[Oh man, you got cockblocked by Azazel! You just fucking jinxed yourself.] Ddraig guffawed at the unfortunate luck of his partner.

This earned the ire of Issei, 'Fuck off, you gecko. Don't forget I can ruin your life by spilling the beans surrounding what happened between you and Tiamat.'

[You wouldn't dare.] the mighty dragon stopped laughing and growled at his host. [Asshole, I spilled my guts about Tiamat. Friends do NOT reveal personal shit.]

'Alright, so don't make fun of me when I'm forced to deal with some bullshit in these kinds of moments,' Issei let out a scoff as he glared at his smartphone. 'Can't believe this asshole is annoying me when I'm supposed to be off.'

He unlocked his phone and called Azazel back.

"Issei! You finally called me back."

"What do you want, Azazel?" Issei asked in an irritated tone, deciding to beat around the bush. "I'm in the middle of something important here."

"You graduated from high school today, right?"

The Red Dragon Emperor rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "You remembered! That's fucking fantastic. Let me go celebrate with my hot girlfriend, who is currently waiting for me."

"Ohhh...I see. I see."

"I'm being serious," Issei walked deeper into the apartment and saw a small trail of clothing that led to their bedroom. To stay in control, he bit the inside of his cheek. "I really would like it if you just spit it out and leave me alone."

"Okay," Azazel seems to understand what's happening and decided to keep it short. "Just wanted to know if you could stay a bit longer tomorrow when you come into the shop and close down for me."

Issei was caught off-guard, "What?"

"Yeah...I have a pretty important meeting with some of the, uh, other high-ranking people. Usually, I'm not interested in these things, but your future brother-in-law says to show up," Azazel spoke in a rather serious tone, which surprised the hell out of Issei.

The young man walked around the apartment, which was a comfortably-sized place for two people. It had a pair of bedrooms (one being used as extra space), one bathroom, a kitchen, and a good enough living space for them. Although, they knew anyone who stepped into their place would be taken back by the conflicting decorum. Rias has the model kits she's built over her lifetime displayed in various positions on the numerous shelves, but the walls were a different story as there were a couple of posters with bands like Metallica or Led Zeppelin on them.

Their bookshelf was just another mishmash of Rias' ever-expanding manga collection. Yet, there were a few pieces of literature that seemed odd. Books covering topics like engineering, computer science, and even some physics thrown in there. If one looked carefully enough in the living room, they might spot a large pile of albums neatly stacked. Everything about their humble abode reflected the interest of those living here.

Issei was about to sit down on the couch until the young man saw his girlfriend's crimson bra on a lamp nearby. Now, that was a motivator for the Red Dragon Emperor to end this conversation, "So, is that all you needed to tell me. If I need to stay longer, you could've just waited until I came in."

His desire to end the conversation and ravage a certain busty crimson-haired devil in their bedroom was chipping away at his patience. The imagination was a powerful thing, and Issei pictured a very naked Rias laying on the bed while giving him a seductive look. This call needs to end, Issei thought.

"Come on, I'm your boss. You don't have to be a dick about it. Seriously, I already deal with Vali and his damn mood swings."

Issei let out a snort, "Vali already has two kids. Are you actually shocked by his mood swings? Kuroka is already pregnant with their third kid. I don't think the man's gonna live past thirty at this rate."

"That's true. You do have a point," he heard Azazel chuckle on the other end. "Makes me wonder when you two are gonna have kids. Her brother is constantly talking about spoiling his future nephews and nieces down the road."

"Bye, Azazel. I'll see ya tomorrow."

He refused to have a conversation about his future kids with Azazel. After ending the call, he let out a sigh before thinking about the last few to come out of the man's mouth, 'I mean, I certainly wouldn't mind starting a family with Rias. It would be kind of nice to see a couple of kids with brown or crimson hair running around a big house.'

While thinking about his future with Rias, the young man heard soft footfalls approaching him. A grin appeared on his face as he felt someone wrap their arms around his neck. Plus, he felt a soft sensation on his back and heard Rias whisper into his ear, "I see you finished with your call. Hope you're ready for tonight."

"Oh, baby, I'm more than ready for this."

What followed was a night filled with passion and pleasure, showcasing their love for each other in the most intimate of ways. Constantly hearing their names, bringing their lover to the absolute limit, and in all the ways they knew best. Tonight seemed perfect in every way possible…just like every other night for the Red Dragon Emperor and his crimson-haired princess.

Except, neither could've imagined what was awaiting them in the future.

(X)

Malibu, California

"Japan?"

Tony stared at his assistant, Pepper Potts, with disbelief written all over his face, The famous billionaire was not exactly thrilled about traveling to the far east nation. Other than enjoying their sake, Japan was nowhere near the top of his list for vacation spots. It meant the country was even lower on his list when it came to working. Personally, he really questioned if those people were willing to work themselves to an early grave.

To be fair, Tony knew he wasn't a model citizen. The media certainly like to remind the world about his enormous list of drunken one night stands with women across this world. Also, his company was not very well-liked by half the country as they were primary arms contractor for the United States military and made billions from weapons sales. Yet, these same people never like to comment on the numerous advances his company has made in other fields like medicine or robotics.

"Tony?"

"Yes," the billionaire raised his head and looked at his long-time assistant. "I-I wasn't paying attention. You lost me after saying 'work' and 'Japan' in the same sentence."

Currently, Tony and his assistant were standing inside his spacious garage filled with numerous vintage cars worth millions, advanced technology created by him, and working with his pair of robot assistants called Dum-E and U. Meanwhile, a very beautiful woman stood a few feet away from the billionaire in a pristine business attire and carrying a tablet in her other hand. The most obvious feature was her long red hair tied into a ponytail.

The woman lost her smile for a moment before regaining her composure, "Tony, I'm already getting a bit of pressure from Obadiah to get you on the plane."

"Obie sent you?" Tony placed a hand against his chest. "How could he do that to me?" he asked, acting as if someone betrayed him.

"Tony," Pepper sometimes wondered why she subjected herself to working for Tony Stark. If it wasn't for the constant pleading from her fiance, Happy, she would've already given her resignation and find a job that didn't make babysitting a grown-ass billionaire a requirement in the job description. While she was happy to be on friendly terms with Tony, even considering him a good friend, there was a major difference in being an employee for him.

The billionaire saw the irritated expression on her face and sighed, "Okay, let's say I go to Japan? What am I doing over there exactly?"

Pepper regained a smile, "Thank you, Tony."

"Whatever," the man rolled his eyes. "Please, explain this to me before I change my mind and decide to go to Hawaii for a few weeks. I could use the vacation time."

"Vacation time, my ass," Pepper muttered under her breath. The woman looked down at her tablet, "As you know, Japan has been a little unhappy about the whole situation revolving around the F-22. Many in their government have been clamoring for a fifth-generation fighter to be created. Currently, they're looking at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build it. However, there are certain problems the company is encountering as they've never built one as...costly as these machines are."

Tony tilted his head with a flat look on his face, "So the company wants me to go over there and talk to them...for what reason?"

"The board of directors says there are potential opportunities for assisting Japan with their fifth-generation fighter program," Pepper quickly skimmed through the email from Obadiah. "They say it's a good first step if the CEO of Stark Industries is willing to meet with their top executives at their headquarters to speak about a deal between the two companies. Hopefully, this does not take longer than...two weeks if there are any serious developments during the negotiations."

"Two weeks?"

Pepper nodded, "Yes."

The billionaire shook his head as he placed a tool back on his table and reached for a rag nearby. For a moment, the room was silent. Pepper was getting a bit nervous as Tony was never the type of person to remain quiet for long. She watched as her boss stood up and, quietly, walked over to his nearby storage of alcohol.

"As I said, I think Hawaii is a much better place for me," Tony said, causing Pepper to narrowed her eyes at him. "Why can't Obie go? He can play ball with the Japanese better than me. Those guys don't know how to lighten up."

"Now, you're being dramatic."

"Me? Being dramatic?" Tony took a sip from his drink before scoffing at his assistant's words. "Look, I just don't wanna spend two weeks in a country where some of the women look like they're twelve. The media may think I don't have standards, but I do."

Pepper tried to remain professional with her boss, "Is that your biggest concern, Tony? The appearance of the women you're guaranteed to sleep with over there."

"Yes, that is my main concern."

"You have two hours to pack your bags for a minimum of three weeks," Pepper seemingly ignored every single word that came out of his mouth during this conversation. She looked at Tony with a smile, but even the famous billionaire could see the anger in her eyes. "Happy will be your escort in Japan. So, I suggest keeping my future husband out of trouble. Are we clear, Mr. Stark?"

Tony placed the alcoholic drink on a nearby workbench and decided to make the smart choice, "Yes, I perfectly understand what is going to happen, Ms. Potts."

"Good," she replied curtly.

Without saying another word to him, Pepper turned around and headed upstairs. Meanwhile, Tony was tempted to have JARVIS create a warning as to whenever he was pissing off Pepper. At this point, the billionaire was starting to believe the joke from his bodyguard/closest friend, Happy Hogan, about how Pepper is the closest thing he has to a sister.

He spoke up, "Jarvis, did Ms. Potts leave the property?"

"Yes, sir, I can confirm Ms. Potts has left the premise," a mysterious voice answered in a British accent. "I do believe you're going to start taking my warnings seriously about further agitating Ms. Potts, sir."

Tony picked up his drink and downed the entire thing in one go. He then answered JARVIS, "Need to write that down so I don't forget next time."

"Would you like an automated warning on your phone sir? Or, would you rather find out what a very upset Ms. Potts looks like?"

He narrowed his eyes at the tone being used by JARVIS, "Okay, there's no need to be a smartass with me."

As if machines could roll their eyes, JARVIS seemed ready with a retort. "Duly noted, sir. However, I suggest making a change to your personality to prevent an AI from acting as a 'smartass' as you just called me."

Tony didn't say anything as he thought about what just happened. 'Did I just get insulted by an AI? Man, I must be really good if I can pull that off.'

"Sir, I do believe packing for your trip is the most important task at this very moment."

"Thanks for the reminder, honey," Tony said as he headed for the glass doors leading to the stairwell. "I swear, I'm going to get you back for acting so smug with your creator."

"Truly, sir, you are going to be the reason why humanity is ruled over by the machines in the near future. Nothing can stop Skynet if you're leading them."

The joke got a chuckle out of Tony before the man headed upstairs and began the arduous task of trying to pack some clothes for a three week trip to Japan. He only had one thought, 'Please don't set me up with some chick who looks like a preteen. I swear, I'm going to sell my entire stock in the company if that does happen.'

Can I just say something? The scene between Issei and Rias was definitely something I've never had much experience writing. Intimate moments involving lovers are not the scenes I imagine for most of my stories. Usually, they're fights or whatnot.

Let me know what you guys think about it. Was it too much? Not really worth reading? Or did I do fine?

We're moving onto more important matters. Tony Stark has been introduced into the story and is going to be traveling to Japan for a business meeting. Funnily enough, I decided to use the whole incident with the F-22 Raptor being banned for export as the reasoning why Japan already wants to build their fifth-gen fighter (which they're doing in real-life). A somewhat believable excuse for the man to visit the far east nation. Another major detail is going to be the relationships between the characters.

You already saw Pepper is actually engaged to Happy, and that was in the comics. Yes, I'm going through with that idea since I wanted to add a spin to the MCU.

Does this mean Tony is going to be alone? No, I think that would be a waste to do that to him. I have a couple of ideas as to who I can pair up Tony with, but nothing all that concrete right now. At the time of releasing this chapter, Yasaka and Tiamat are probably the favorites. I'm open to other characters as long as they make sense and aren't weird. If they can work within the universe I've created here, I don't mind being sent ideas.

What else is important to mention? I guess, we can talk about Saitama. So, he's not going to be all that important following this beginning section. After we get to the events of Iron-Man, that's when things are going to be ramping up. On the other hand, it is going to be a solid minute as this takes place about a few months before the MCU kicked off with Iron-Man, so keep that in mind.

Other than that, I don't got much else to say! See y'all later!