Chapter five

"Ha! I win again! Suck on that hentai-kun!"

Matsuda resisted the urge to growl like a savage animal at the girl standing over his prone, exhausted, dirt covered panting body. His mind was currently focused on stabilizing his breathing. Friggin six races in a row. SIX! And not a single one had been a victory for him! Part of him was kind of impressed. But the other 98 percent of him was just incredulous. Sure he's been out of practice for a while but seriously? What the hell!?

And why the fuck didn't this girl look that tired!?

Tsubasa smirked and plopped down next to him, crossing her arms over one knee, seemingly reading his thoughts as her look grew even smugger.

"Don't be too disappointed Hentai-kun. I'd be shocked if you had managed to beat me honestly."

"Oh, you're a shining example of humility aren't you? And what's with that name?!"

Tsubasa pierced the boy with the blankest deadpan look she'd ever given anybody.

"Really?" she began, causing Matsuda to shut up. She smirked while pointing at his chest. "Not counting you and your friend's infamous reputation, don't think I haven't noticed you checking me out."

And it was true. Matsuda, despite having a rather particular…taste, still could appreciate a good view in a girl built outside of his norm, and this one gave quite a good view, especially while panting lightly, covered in a light sheen of sweat and wearing what she was.

Still though…

Matsuda didn't dignify this with a response, though he did shuffle awkwardly to his feet, as if ready to run away. Tsubasa laughed.

"Oh relax man I'm not gonna freak out on you. Trust me, you'd know already if I was actually offended."

"Wait wha…"

"But enough about me," she interrupted, suddenly facing the boy with a rather intense stare. "I wanna learn about you."

She actually had the gall to laugh in his face when he gave her a shocked look.

"Oh come on!" She exclaimed with a wide grin. "I know you're all supposed to be idiotic perverts but even you can't be this clueless! You three have been making waves at school for weeks now!"

Well…it wasn't like he could deny that.

(xxxxx)

God fucking dammit.

Seriously what kind of child beating, puppy eating, handicap kid slapping murderous psycho had he been in a past life to be stuck in this kind of situation?! It just wasn't god damn fair. Gaaahhh!

Rias tilted her head adorably.

"Is there something wrong, Issei-kun?"

The boosted gear wielder cringed, struggled to find the words to assure her he was fine, failed and simply sighed like a man accepting his coming demise.

"I-I'm sorry but I cant." And there is was. No going back now. Tears flowing from his eyes he turned from the beautiful girl.

"I…I have a prior engagement."

He's even using sophisticated words now? Yeah he could feel himself dying with each new word.

"Prior engagement?"

Okay she didn't have to sound so shocked jeez. Still, he brushed aside his annoyance and continued on. Because if there was one thing Issei was not, it would be a jerk. At least he tried not to be. And he wasn't one to stand someone up, especially not the first girl to ask him to hang out (murderous fallen angel non-withstanding) so he gave up his chance to sedu—err get to know Rias.

"Yeah, I'm hanging out with Murayama-Chan today," he said. And he couldn't really decide if this sucked or not. Not because he had to hang with Murayama, because there was nothing bad about that. But the fact that he had to actually voice words of rejection to the redhead was like a spear through the chest. Ugh it hurt!

But then he thought of a silver lining.

"How about tomorrow?"

He'd make damn sure nothing would hold him up for any reason. He WOULD see Rias-Chan and he WOULD get a nice good feel of her glorious tit-er her personality….yeah…that.

Rias giggled, a sound that was way more fucking sexually pleasing than any giggle had the right to be and simply nodded. "Okay then! I'll see you at the Occult research club building okay? Be quick too. We're all very…eager to meet you."

Issei paused, hormone driven mind snapping back into clarity in an instant as she turned and left.

Ah crap. He reeeally hoped that there wasn't any hidden meaning behind that creepy ass tone she just used. He stared after here as she left, his eyes refusing to leave the swaying hips barely contained by that ridiculously short skirt, until she rounded a corner and was gone. It was only after she was completely out of sight that he was able to get it together and continue making his way towards the warehouse.

"Tch, be glad I like you Murayama-chan," he growled playfully. He smiled with a shrug.

What Issei didn't know was that Rias had gotten kind of tired of waiting around trying to find out more about Issei, so as the human boy turned and left, she doubled back and began to follow him, keeping a respectable distance away so he wouldn't somehow sense her and see her following.

Normally she wouldn't really do such a thing but she just couldn't help it. Curiosity is one hellova thing to have and Rias had been of a victim of this particular feeling as soon as she had heard that he may or may not possess the Boosted gear, and had grown more intense as the rumors about him and his friends began to spread.

"Hehe I feel like a detective," she giggled, watching as Issei-kun turned towards the outskirts of the town towards the old industrial district.

"Or a creeper."

Akeno's voice suddenly whispering into her ear made an undignified shriek explode from her lungs.

Issei turned. "Eh? What was that?" he muttered, looking back over his shoulder warily. He stared for nearly ten seconds, his eyes narrowed and suspicious…

Then he abruptly relaxed and continued on his way, jogging off as he realized he was running late.

Rias struggled for another seven seconds trying to pry Akeno's hands off her face until, with a grin the queen removed her hands. "Dammit Akeno what are you doing here?!" she hissed, indignation coloring her face. She crossed her arms. "I specifically told you to remain at home!"

Akeno just chuckled. "Oho? And miss out on the potential drama? I mean seriously! The famous oppai nut turned down a date offering! From Rias Gramory! Hah!"

"S-shut up!" She turned away, ready to continue her stalk-er…surveillance of Issei-kun…only to realize that sometime during her conversation with her queen, her quarry had vanished. "What the…where'd he go? Dammit Akeno!"

"Oh relax Buchuo. He couldn't have gotten that far. Let's look for him!"

Rias could only sigh as Akeno took to the skies.

(xxxxx)

She'd always been a bit intrigued by the perverted trio. Indeed when she had first laid eyes on them and bore witness to the rampant personalities they possessed, she couldn't help but be sucked in. She knew that almost all boys their age were perverts who pretended to be something else. They were pathetic hypocrites who dared to look down others for their faults, pretending to be all righteous and proper while secretly doing the exact same things that any other pervert would do. The boys that were accepted into this school with the possible exception of Yuto Kiba, had all come to this school for one reason and one reason only.

And no matter what they claimed or tried to act like, there was no hiding it from the majority of the girls there.

But then there were these three.

Honestly she didn't quite understand the ridiculous amount of animosity the trio had been shown. Amongst all of the boys that had come to the school, she liked them the most. They were honest. And as a girl who had no problems expressing her wants and desires, she could appreciate that.

There was no mask to hide their thoughts, no falsities at play there. They were straight up with their wants and desires…innocent little virgins who spent too much time on the internet and had no control over their hormones. They were adorable. Sure they probably coulda toned it down a bit, and some of their habits could evolve into serious problems later down that line, but really, at the current point in time she saw nothing wrong with them. They weren't really hurting anyone and the few times they had been presented with the opportunity to do anything more, they had shown themselves to be above such depravity, surprisingly hesitant to take advantage of the opportunities presented. This showed a depth to their character that no one else could see.

She'd always been intrigued by the trio. But she wasn't dumb. Like everyone else, she kept her distance.

And then they began to change.

Something happened to the three of them. She could see it in the way they moved. Their eyes were always alert. They were tense and paranoid, and they seemed to become almost obsessed with improving themselves, paying slightly less attention to women and girls and focusing more on themselves. And they improved rapidly, showing her and the rest of the school other aspects of their characters that had previously been hidden, showcasing the impressive potential that got them accepted into the academy in the first place.

Like moths to the flame, their changes began to draw people in. She could see it almost friggin plain as day. The student council, the Occult research club, the Kendo club…People were beginning to gravitate towards the trio in ways that would have never been possible a month and a half ago. Even she wasn't immune to the pull. Hell she jumped on it, eager to be one of the first to get close to them, as if to say, "Hah! I liked em before it was cool to like them bitches!"

She was especially drawn to Motohama. There was just a strange…chemistry between them. They were so much alike it was eerie. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Seeing him in the chemistry lab, darting back and forth had been the final straw. And that quip he had when she asked if he wanted help!

Aika Kiriyuu giggled to herself, accidentally bumping Motohama's shoulder just as he was pouring a green liquid into a metallic sphere. "Gah! Shit duck and cover!" he yelled when his hand slipped and knocked over a beaker full of a red chemical, tackling the girl to the ground just as the table exploded. When the dust cleared Akia laughed at Motohama's soot covered face hovering two inches above hers.

"Oho, look at you all heroic and whatnot. Careful stud, you might make me fall for you."

Motohama sputtered and blushed while glaring, jumping up off of the girl and dusting himself off. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then spotted the burned, ruined forms of his metallic spheres. He started crying dramatically.

Aika Giggled again.

"Don't worry. I'll help you rebuild them hun."

Motohama smiled.

(xxxxx)

Issei walked into the hideout, desperately trying to set aside the soul crushing sadness he felt and trying to look as normal as possible as to not rouse suspicion.

Murayama wasn't fooled.

"The heck's the matter with you?" she asked as the Boosted gear wielder slumped into a nearby chair. "You looked like someone killed your puppy in front of you."

Issei half glared at the girl. "Yeah if only it was something so simple," he said, to which the girl raised an eyebrow. He chuckled nervously. "But enough about that," he began. "Did you have anything you wanted to do? Did any of your girls find out anything?"

Murayama frowned slightly. "Not much," she said at last. "But then again it hasn't even been a day yet. A couple of the girls noticed a few people looking at you more than what's probably considered normal but that's about it."

Issei nodded and gave the girl a soft smile. "I see. Thanks Murayama. This means a lot."

The girl scoffed. "Thank me after we discover something significant, if there's anything to discover at all."

When Issei stared at her with an utterly deadpan look she blushed and glared! "H-hey! Not everyone is as paranoid as you alright!?"

When she looked like she was ready to lunge at him, he raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay okay I'm sorry eesh! Relax will ya?" the girl spent another few seconds glaring before she sighed and seemed to collapse. "Ugh. You're a pain." Her tone was teasing. Issei laughed. "I'll take pain over scum who needs to die in a car accident any day."

Murayama blushed, remembering a time she had said such an insult, but before she could say anything, Issei approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Seriously though, thank you. And I don't mean just for agreeing to spy for us." He hesitated. "We didn't think we'd ever make any friends, especially not any girls."

"Well who's fault is that?" she thought, half amused and half annoyed, but she didn't voice her opinion. She just gave a slight smile. "Yeah," she said. "All it took was an epic fight with a fallen angel eh?"

Issei laughed again. "I wouldn't exactly call it epic. We were kinda getting spanked until you and Katase-chan blindsided him."

It was Murayama's turn to deadpan. "That guy you three were fighting nearly killed Katase and I with that one single surprise attack he did! You three dodged it and then fought him on equal terms!"

When Issei blushed bashfully, the kendo club girl slapped his arm, to which he chuckled and nudged her with his shoulder causing them both to laugh a bit. "I guess you're right Murayama-Chan!" said Issei while grinning. "Thanks for that!"

Murayama turned to hide her red cheeks "S-shut up pervert! I didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"Right," said Issei, still grinning. Then it got quiet. Murayama's blush faded as she began to look around the hideout of the trio, her eyes dancing over the contents of the large room. Amusement filled her. It really was a mess here, obvious in the fact that the boys were still new to all of this, still trying to get a foot in the door all of this craziness. Part of her was impressed. It was obviously quite a load of shit that had piled on top of them, all at once. They had no warning and no way to prepare. They were being forced to react to everything the whole way instead of getting the breathing room to plan and prepare. And despite all of that, they still managed to survive, and even come out ahead so far. She narrowed her eyes. They would get help. That was a promise she'd made to herself as soon as they had told Katase and she that outlandish story.

"Man I'm regretting turning down Rias-Chan less and less to spend time with you Mura-Chan!"

Issei's sudden words elicited a major.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NICKNAME!? DON'T-did you say Rias? As in Rias Gramory, leader of the Occult research club?"

Issei rose and eyebrow. "Don't know why it was necessary to say all of that but yes." He drooled. "She was practically begging for me I swear! Be happy I'm a good friend."

Murayama glared. "And you didn't find that odd despite the fact that we were LITERALLY just talking about how suspicious they are!?"

Issei chuckled nervously. "Well…I did think it was kinda weird. The tone she used when she said she wanted me to meet her at her club house tomorrow…"

"Oh my god! You didn't agree to go did you!?"

"Uh…maybe?"

"God dammit Issei pull you head outta your dick!"

Issei got to laugh at her words for three seconds before Murayama's shinnai slammed into his stomach with enough force to topple him over.

"Gah! Murayama-Chaaan! Whyyy!?"

"Because you're an idiot that's why!"

"But…it was Rias! You have no idea the fantasies I have about that woman!"

"Eww keep it to yourself Pervert!"

A scuffle ensued that ended with Issei crouched defensively on one side of the room, boosted gear gleaming on his arm and held up defensively and Murayama poised to strike out with her shinnai on the other side of the room.

Neither of them noticed to two winged girls hovering outside of the large upper window looking down at the two in surprise and amusement. The window was just wide enough to provide the two devils a view of the two humans, but not much else within the room.

"So it true, then," said Rias with a satisfied smile. "He does have the boosted gear and knows how to use it a bit."

Akeno smirked. "And it seems he's already told people." Her attention shifted to Murayama. "No wonder the kendo club seems so close to them now. I wonder when this happened?" Rias looked up in thought. "I'm not sure," she began. Perhaps he'll tell us tomorrow eh?"

Akeno Giggled and began to drift away. "Perhaps."

The two devil girls flew away, satisfied for now, leaving the squabbling humans inside to their day, completely missing the conversation that was taking place.

"So yeah," began Murayama. "There's no way you're going to meet this club alone. I'm coming with you and so are Katase and your friends."

"Okay? But are you sure that's smart?"

Murayama shrugged. "They're less likely to try anything if there's more of us right?"

Issei seemed unsure. "I don't know. That fallen angel dude attacked with no hesitation even though there were five of us there."

"Damn, you're right." Then she looked around. "We'll just have to make sure we're all properly armed then." She stared making her way to the weapons cache. "Got any swords in here?"

"H-hey wait! Put that down! Mura-Chan!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

(xxxx)

Tsubasa stepped into her home with a rather wide smile on her face as she headed up to her room, ignoring her parent's inquisitive looks, she reviewed the last three hours in her own head and couldn't help the excitement she felt.

Sona would be pleased with what she'd learned. Matsuda was quite the guy. By the time he'd given up challenging her to rematches, he was already running fast enough to make her put in a bit of effort to beat him. He wasn't kidding when he boasted about being a former star athlete. She wondered why he would willingly forsake such talent. He could get to collage on a scholarship like that, maybe even go on to be a professional and make himself oodles of dough.

Then she laughed as she remembered just who it was she was talking about.

Oh well. Either way the trio would make fine additions to the peerage. And the small matter of their perversion could be easily dealt with and curbed. She suppressed her excited giggle. Matsuda with a devil's body would no doubt provide a challenge on the track. She couldn't wait. It was a sure thing!

Seriously, what reasons would they actually have to decline becoming devils?

(xxxxx)

"Soooo," drawled out Aika as Motohama proceeded to load up half a dozen metal spheres into his backpack. "You never did tell me what it is I'm helping you make weird grenades for." She slid up to Motohama, flirtatiously leaning her shoulder against his, much to his pleased surprise. "Mind filling me in?"

She had a right to know, she figured. Considering she just helped him build the things.

Motohama chuckled, his glasses gleaming. "Sorry Aika-Chan," he began while turning his head to look him right in the eyes, as if he were about to kiss. He gave a wink and a flirty smirk.

"That's a secret."

Then he ambled off before she could say anything else. It took her four seconds after he was gone to get over her surprise.

Then she grinned almost maliciously. "Oho, we'll see about that, Motohama."

She began to follow.

AN: ALRIGHTY! Another chapter done and over with! Things are starting to heat up a bit. Next. We're finally starting to see a bit of development between the characters. Who interacts with who and what comes of the meetings between numerous individuals. Sorry it took so long. I'm trying to get my shit together writing wise haha. Anyway you know the drill. Tell me what you thought.

Until next time!