Author's Note.
Hey everybody, sorry for the long delay, orginal intentention was to have all of this as one chapter, but it being the holiday season and all that...here you go :)
...
Despite the amount of time it had taken her to reach this point, Raynare could only experience an understandable, if slightly twisted feeling of satisfaction as she surveyed the result of her labors.
"Let's see. An army of violent minions willing to do anything I ask of them. Check. One naïve nun bound in chains so I can extract her Sacred Gear. Check. My fellow Fallen Angels on security detail so I can perform this ceremony in peace".
"Unchecked".
Eye's narrowing in annoyance as she turned to face her fellow Fallen Angel, the well-endowed woman fought the urge to skewer him with a light spear as she stared into Dohanseek's smirking visage.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be patrolling the area so we don't have any unnecessary interruptions. Last thing we need is for the Devil's to find out what were up to".
Dismissing her concerns with a casual wave of his hand, the trench coat wearing angel's expression quickly gained a sadistic edge to it as he proceeded to explain the reason for his presence.
"I assure you that Kalawarner and Mittelt have it covered. And if by chance anyone happens to slip past their notice, I have Freed covering the upper levels so there's no need to worry about uninvited guests. But to answer your earlier question, I thought I had already made it clear. If you get to steal Twilight Healing from your young friend here, then I get to steal the powers of that disgusting trash of a Devil".
Hiding the sudden unease she felt at her comrade's words behind her usual mask of indifference, Raynare turned her attention to the bound nun as she tried to reassert control of the discussion.
"As long as nothing interrupts the ceremony then it doesn't matter who is standing guard. However, I will be the one to go first. Is that understood"?
Chuckling at the superior posturing of his fellow Fallen Angel, though inwardly he was seething at the fact that their superiors had designated the younger angel to lead the mission, Dohanseek decided that for the time being it would be wiser to adopt the role of a faithful subordinate.
"Whatever you say Raynare. Whatever you say".
Satisfied with his current display of deference, though she suspected that he was not being totally sincere, the buxom woman turned her attention away from her scheming comrade and focused it on the closest kneeling human.
"I trust that we are ready to begin the ceremony"?
Allowing just a hint of menace to creep into her tone as she addressed the snivelling human, Raynare allowed the barest hint of a smile to appear across her face as she listened to her servant's answer.
"Yes milady. Everything is prepared, and we only need your order to begin".
Pleased with the former priest's reply, and ignoring the pitiful pleas for mercy that were currently being spoken by her bound victim, the Fallen Angel moved to take her place in the centre of the rune carved floor, only to pause for a moment as she heard the whispered commands of her fellow conspirator.
"You two, while the rest of your cohorts are busy assisting lady Raynare with her ritual, I want you to prepare our other guest for his turn on the rack. I trust that I don't have to remind you what will happen if you fail me"?
Receiving hesitant nods from both of the robed exorcists, Dohanseek turned to leave the two humans to their task, only to stop mid stride as he heard the younger of his two servants offer up a nervous word of protest to their orders.
"But, Father Freed said that if anyone was to lay a finger on the Devil, he would do something to us that would make us beg to be crucified".
Doing his best to keep his temper under control at this show of defiance, the fedora wearing angel merely dismissed the human's concern with a casual flick of his hand.
"You would be wiser to be more concerned about what I will do to you if you continue to question my orders. Now hurry up and get that Devil scum ready before I decided to use the pair of you for target practise".
Smirking as the two exorcists scrambled to do his bidding, and seeing that Raynare was ready to begin the latest attempt to snag the attentions of their perverted leader, Dohanseek silently took up a position at the far side of the chamber. For while he was interested in his turn to claim a sacred gear for his own use, he had little desire to actively help his fellow Fallen Angel achieve her goals.
And besides, it had been some time since a ritual like this had been performed, so on the off chance that it turned into a debacle, he wanted to ensure that he had at least some opportunity to make an escape should the situation turn south.
But with his oddly matched teammates on patrol, the fact that he had a battle loving maniac to lead their army of cannon fodder, and a victim who couldn't move without experiencing the joys of heavy light poisoning, nothing could possibly go wrong.
….
"This is so unfair Kal. How come a slacker like Dohanseek gets to duck out of guard duty, while we, the hardest working members of our little group, have to stick it out here in the cold? It's not fair".
Sighing in annoyance as she listened to the constant complaining of the smaller Fallen Angel, Kalwarner summoned the remaining dregs of her rapidly deteriorating patience as she addressed the diminutive blonde.
"Quit complaining. We only have to put up with this for another hour, then we can get one of our human servants to do this task. Besides, I find it to be far safer our here than it is in there. Or do you think our comrades will be able to remain civil to each other as they try to determine who gets to go first with this little scheme of theirs. Better to freeze a little than get hit with an inaccurate light spear".
Grudgingly nodding her head with her more developed comrade, and rightfully suspecting that she was dangerously close to experiencing the effects of a light spear to the gut if she kept complaining, Mittelt wisely held her tongue as she focused her attention back to her appointed task.
In truth she didn't know why her more powerful comrades where going to such lengths to ensure the success of their mission. Despite the fact that the town's resident Devils were now alerted to their presence, apart from a case of mistaken identity courtesy of Dohanseek, the Fallen Angels had done nothing to violate the fragile truce that existed between their two races.
The nun with the healing abilities had been a member of their faction, which meant that there was no probable cause for the Devils to react negatively if they learned about their plans for the soon to be deceased girl. And that Devil they had taken prisoner was clearly a stray, which meant that none of the 3 factions would care if he experienced a death that was far from merciful.
Only down side she could see with their current mission was that regardless of the final outcome of this little foray into Devil territory, there were few if any chances for her efforts to be recognized, let alone rewarded with the gift of a stolen power. Sure she and her more 'gifted' companion would probably be listed as accomplices in this little scheme, but it would be Raynare and Dohanseek who received the glory, ensuring that they would rise through the ranks of the Grigori, while their companions remained amongst the rank and file.
Correctly guessing the direction of her companion's thoughts, for she herself had come to same conclusion after she had heard their male companion express an interest in finding out if their machine could extract a sacred from a Devil, Kalwarner chose to remain silent as she refocused her attention back to her appointed task.
In truth she didn't mind her current task since it allowed her to have a quick break from the ambitious schemes of her more unbalanced comrades, but she knew that such a reprieve was only temporary since a common trait of her kind was to arrogantly boast of their accomplishments.
But unfortunately for her, she would soon be spared that fate for something far more permanent.
"You know I never understood why you Fallen Angels constantly choose former places of worship as your base of operations. Never pegged your race as being overly nostalgic, but I suppose that even a disgraced species can get home sick every now and then. Don't you agree Akeno"?
Eye's widening in anger, and more than a little bit of fear as she heard the mocking tone of the very being she had been told to keep a watch for, Kalwarner's unease steadily grew as she heard an answering chuckle to previously spoken question.
"Fufufu, why yes I do Rias. But you shouldn't be too hard on them. I mean, it's not like they can just waltz into town and book a room in a nice hotel. Angels, whether their fallen or not, don't really have much in the way of common sense".
Gritting her teeth in frustration as she continued to hear her the hidden Devils continue to poke fun at her species, though she could have sworn that she detected a barely audible trace of venom in the second voice, the buxom Fallen Angel, along with her more childlike comrade, summoned a spear of light in her hands, ready to act as soon as the Devil's decided to show themselves.
Something which only caused the first Devil to chuckle in amusement.
"Now now there's no need for that. While I admit that I am rather tempted to 'clip your wings' I find myself a little pressed for time, so if you could kindly answer some of our questions, I'll allow you to leave with your lives, provided of course that you promise never to return".
Eyes narrowing as they listened to their still hidden adversaries, and doing their best not to betray the understandable nervousness they felt for their situation, the pair of Fallen Angels decided to go with the option that would allow them to maintain some dignity.
…
Though they were understandable nervous at what Freed would do to them once he discovered that they had violated his orders, the two former servants of God couldn't help but feel a growing sense of pride as they hurried to accomplish the task that they had been selected for.
While the Fallen Angels had always assignment their human underlings to perform the various tasks that allowed them to devote their full attention to completing their missions, very few of their servants were trusted with anymore more important than keeping their base clean. So to be singled out by one of their more powerful masters to fetch his chosen victim was deemed to be a high honor, though in actual fact the fedora wearing Fallen Angel had merely selected the two closest humans to the door.
Something which was completely oblivious to the two humans.
"Man can you believe this? Lord Dohanseek could have chosen anyone to fulfil this task, but instead he chose us".
Nodding in agreement with his younger companion, for he too felt blessed to have been chosen for this important task, the older exorcist offered a more tempered observation to their current circumstances.
"Indeed. It is a high honor to be singled out by one of our superiors. My only concern is that our masters' will be unable to fully shield us from the wrath of our more…driven comrade".
Shivering in understandable fear at what Freed would do to them for daring to touch their demonic prisoner, the younger exorcist was prevented from voicing his own opinion regarding their more blood thirsty comrade as he caught sight of something that made him begin to wish that Dohanseek had chosen someone else for this important task.
Sharing the younger exorcist's anxiety, but knowing that their might be a more reasonable explanation to their current circumstances, the former priest slowly began to move forward to the slightly open prison door.
Shocked out of his stupor by the sudden movement of his older companion, the younger ex priest cautiously followed, hoping that what they were about to discover wouldn't lead to their deaths at the hands of a certain Fallen Angel.
Pushing the door open with a slightly trembling hand, the pair of exorcists sighed in relief as they caught sight of still restrained Devil.
Judging that their superiors had simply forgotten to lock the door after their latest round of fun with the prisoner, the younger of the two robe wearing exorcists let loose a shaking laugh.
"Man that was close. Can you imagine what Lord Dohanseek would do to us if we let the prisoner escape? I know that we're kind of on God's bad side right now, but I can't help but thinking that his a miracle".
Nodding his head in agreement, for that thought had also crossed his mind when he had seen that the door to the cell had been left open, the older man soon refocused his attention back to the task at hand.
"Ok Devil scum, nap times over. Time to go".
Smirking as his older companion taunted their injured prisoner, the younger exorcist decided to join in on the fun after going through that thankfully brief moment of panic.
"Come on Devil boy. Time for you to pay for your sins. I know that God doesn't exactly look on us with favor these days, but I'm sure if you repent long enough, you might just get a chance to receive a mercif….grkkk".
His word's cut off by the sudden explosion of pain coming from his chest, and noticing that the now awake Devil was currently sporting a smirk of satisfaction, the former servant of god turned his head down and released a gurgling shout of horror at his discovery.
Pleased at the surprised look of terror that stemmed from learning that your chest had just been pierced by several strands of barb wire, but knowing that he only had a brief moment before the other exorcist's shock wore off, Dante flexed his recently healed hand and caused the same fate to befall the older former servant of God.
"I thank you for your kind considerations gentleman, but since I have no doubt that your about to be face to face with the very deity you so willfully rejected, I suggest you start using your remaining breath to repent your many sins".
Not bothering to wait for an answer from the pair of angelic lackeys, and feeling a tad inspired as he recalled that he had watched this very scenario play out on a late night movie, Dante could only watch in satisfaction as he willed the shadow created wire to tear the two exorcists apart.
Though he savored the fact that he had finally managed to get a little bit of retribution for what he had been forced to endure over the past few hours, the black haired Devil knew that he couldn't waste any more time if he was to make his escape.
Originally, it had been his plan to make his escape as soon as he had learned that the nun's healing powers had restored his ability to bend the shadows to his will, but that idea had been quickly discarded at the discovery that he could only use his right hand to access his powers.
Accepting his current limitations, he had soon thought of another plan that would not only allow him to be free of his prison, but would give him the chance to delay his pursuers once they discovered his absence.
Knowing that his plan required the element of surprise, and suspecting that the Fallen Angel's human lackeys would become careless if they had discovered that their worst fears had been unfounded, Dante had left the door to his prison cell open to give the illusion that he had escaped, only to be discovered to still be inhabiting his cell.
Deciding to congratulate himself for the success of his plan at a time when he didn't have to worry about power stealing crows, Dante focused the entirety of his concentration towards the next part of his escape plan.
Clenching his teeth in pain as he felt the shadows engulf his still poisoned body, though it was far more manageable now thanks to the fact that his bones were no longer broken, Dante began the process of finally freeing himself from his less than stellar situation.
His only regret was that his escape prevented him from taking his revenge against those directly responsible for his condition. But in the end he needn't have worried.
For revenge would soon be his.
…
After all the hardship he had gone through, in the end it had been for nothing.
His defiance of his buxom master, the fight against Freed and his fellow former servants of God. All meaningless as he stared with tear filled eyes at the lifeless body of the girl who he had failed to protect.
"She didn't deserve this. None of it. If only I was a little faster, a little stronger, I could have saved her".
Sensing his fellow Devil's distress, and knowing what it felt like to have one's friends torn away from them because of another's selfish goals, Kiba moved to console the crying Issei before he could slip deeper into depression.
"It's not your fault Issei. None of this is your fault".
Shrugging off the blonde's attempt at comfort with a digested snarl, Issei caught sight of the fleeing woman who was responsible for not only his death, but also the murder of the nun who had managed to maintain a positive outlook despite all the horror she had been subjected to.
And even though he knew that he had only the sliminest of chances of beating Raynare while she possessed the ability to heal herself, for Asia's sake, he was going to try.
"You guys stay here. I have some unfinished business with the Fallen Angel, and I don't want you to get in my way".
…
Understanding the pain that was clearly coursing through his fellow Devil at this point in time, for he would react the same when presented with the opportunity to finally gain vengeance for what had been done to him and his friends, Kiba merely nodded to show his support before he turned his attention back towards his human opponents.
While lacking the strength to face them on numerical even terms, the exorcists were nevertheless numerous enough to pose a challenge for both him and his white haired teammate. And while he was confident that they would emerge victorious against their human opponents, it would still take some time before they could join up with their perverted comrade.
But as luck would have it, his timetable would be sped up considerably, albeit in a manner that he had not suspected.
….
Though it had been his original intention to escape from the forsaken church without being detected, the sudden appearance of his comrades had inspired him to take a much different approach with those who had aided in his capture.
While he was still too weak to confront any enemy directly, courtesy of the light magic that still coursed through his veins, the fact that the exorcists were concentrating their attentions elsewhere presented him with the perfect opportunity to strike while their backs were turned.
Keeping to the shadows so he could strengthen his partially non corporeal form, and judging that it would be a more efficient use of his remaining energy if he refrained from using his preferred technique, Dante ignored the slight spasm of pain that passed through his body as he watched his deadly creation do its work.
...
Hoped you all enjoyed that.
Apologises for the wait...but writers block/Other stories...life...got in the way lol.
Will strive to continue working on the second part so the wait isnt as long.
PLZ review..flamers not welcome.