Chapter 12: Rum and Priests
Damon slowly strode towards them, with everyone getting into a defensive position, ready for anything, except for what DID happen. Damon removed his coat, tossing it to Koneko,
"Go ahead and try it on, wouldn't want you to catch a cold," he said, and Koneko did so with a blush. He then withdrew a small metal flask, and two highball glasses, pouring an amber liquid, which Adrian assumed was rum from his heightened sense of smell, into each glass.
"How are you still alive, and what's with the booze?" Asked Adrian, readying for the moment where Damon might strike, yet it never came, even after he put his flask away.
"I came, to offer a truce," said Damon, offering one of the glasses.
"Why would you offer a truce when I damn near killed you earlier today?" Adrian asked, now more curious about what Damon is planning, and he refused the drink. Damon shrugged, drinking Adrians alcohol,
"Because, back where I'm from, devils didn't have masters, they simply ran around without regard to who they hurt. Up until a thousand years ago or so, one devil, named Sparda, who was stronger than the rest, decided to side with humanity, and stopped a massive invasion, one that he was supposed to be leading," Damon stopped to drink the other glass, and continued, "and once he stopped all of them, he settled down, with the woman that made him fight for humanity, Eva. Together, they had two twin sons, Virgil, my grandfather, and Dante, my great uncle."
"And Dante is the one who gave you Rebellion, right?" Asked Adrian, keeping track of Damons story.
"Yeah. Something happened, and they got separated, and Dante didn't see my grandfather again until both of them were grown ass men. Together they stopped another devil invasion, but they were split as to what to do after. Dante was going to follow in Spardas footsteps, and protect humanity. Virgil, however, was planning on ruling it, and gave in to the devil side of himself. Dante had no choice but to kill his own brother, my grandfather. But of course, the story doesn't end there."
"Obviously not, or you wouldn't be standing right here," said Adrian. Damon laughed, looked down at the two empty glasses in his hands, and tossed them over his shoulder, letting them shatter on the hard floor. The rest of the ORC had taken seats around the abandoned house, listening to Damons story as well,
"Anyway, Virgil had an illegitimate son, Nero, him being my dad, and at the time, neither Dante nor Nero knew the other existed. So they fought, and eventually put aside their differences so they could fight the REAL bad guys, one of which was my uncle on my moms side, Credo." Damon pulled his flask back out, and took another big swig, "Now get this, in Credos mind, he thought he was serving God, and even went as far as to transform himself into a devil, to do God's work...logic? Where are you?" Damon shook his head, taking another swig, "So, once all that shit was said and done, Nero married my mom, Kyrie, after a few long happy years they finally had me, I grew up, and that's when it all went to hell." Damon sighed, "Somehow, someway, Credo managed to come back from the dead, and at that time, both Dante and Nero were getting up there in age, so they were a bit outmatched..." Damon paused, wiping a tear from his eye, "Uh...and...well..." he paused even longer, and finally cracked, "Credo killed Dante! He sliced my dads Devil Bringer arm off, and I wound up being the only one who could stop him!" He said, no longer holding back tears. The ORC all shared looks of sympathy for the self proclaimed Devil Hunter,
"Not to be a dick or anything, but I'm pretty sure you already told me most of this," said Adrian.
"But I never told you the worst part. Credo actually tore a hole in reality, hoping to lure ACTUAL angels from this world back to my own, so they can kill all the devils, including my dad. And the only way to seal the hole was to jump through, but once you get through, it seals itself back up. So as of right now, I have nowhere to go, no one to rely on. I'm trapped here," he finished. The ORC was at a loss for words, except for Katrina,
"That hole in reality, could it have happened anywhere?"
"Maybe even anyWHEN," said Damon. Katrina looked down at the floor, realization hitting her, and the group noticed.
"What's wrong?" Asked Calvin.
"That portal, it must have been how Kratos contacted me! Sent me these blades and everything!" She said.
"Not a bad theory," said Damon, now clearly drunk, "but more than anything...I just want a place...to belong!" He then fell flat on his face, almost unconscious.
"Hold up!" Adrian dashed to the fallen Damon, "why were you telling us all this in the first place?"
"B...because...when I saw you guys fighting Viser...it reminded me of when me and Dante...fought devils...together..." and with that, Damon passed out.
"Great, what are we going to do about him?" Asked Issei, not liking how Damon is passed out.
"Well first, I'm going to do this," said Adrian, snatching Damons flask away, emptying the contents on the floor, and pocketing the now empty flask. "Then I'm going to do this," he then hoisted Damon over his shoulder, "and finally I'm going to ask this; Rias, how many pawn pieces do you have left?" Everyone's eyes widened, save for Koneko.
"You can't be serious!" Said Issei.
"Issei, if anyone else found him, with no master, they're going to assume he's a stray. You've seen what all it took just to bring down Viser, so what do you think they'd be willing to do once they find out how strong this bastard is? Plus he's all alone in this world, and I want to help him if we can...and we can't really leave his drunk ass out here anyway, that just wouldn't be right."
"I second that," said Koneko, making Rias smile,
"You really are a good guy Adrian."
The next day...
Damon was slowly awoke, as sunlight pierced his vulnerable eyes, making him rub them from the pain. He slowly sat up, finding his clothes gone, himself seated on a couch in an unfamiliar room, with his clothes washed and neatly folded on the coffee table in front of him. A note was perched atop his clothes, making him reach for it groggily,
Shower first, clothes second.
An arrow on the note pointed to a curtain in the corner of the room, and he slowly made his way towards the curtian, grabbing his pants along the way. He quickly sprayed down and washed off, and soon walked out with his pants on, and using a towel on the back of his head, only to find the rest of the ORC alreay in the room,
"Welcome to the Occult Research Club Damon," said Rias. Damon just stared, confused,
"Where am I?"
"You're at Kuoh Academy, specifically the Occult Research building. A front for the Gremory House of devils," answered Kiba. Damon still wore a confused expression, as he threw the towel back into the shower area, and grabbed his shirt,
"Why did you guys bring me here?" He asked, slipping his muscle shirt on.
"Because Adrian and Koneko felt it wouldn't be right to just leave you, drunk and unconscious, in an abandoned house where we just killed a stray devil. As for the shower and clean clothes, Rias and myself thought you might feel more comfortable being cleaned up, especially after that fight between you and Adrian earlier that day," said Akeno with a polite bow.
"Is that right?" Damon then began to lace up his boots, and looked around the room, "Hey where's my coat at?"
"I hung it up on the coat rack over there," said Koneko, finger pointed next to the door, and she began to blush, "and thank you for lending it to me last night."
"No problem," Damon continued, throwing his coat on expertly.
"Leaving already?" Asked Rias.
"Just needing to get my weapons before someone else does," said Damon, but he stopped when he saw Adrian drop all of the hunters weapons on the coffee table.
"We actually had an offer for you," said Rias, a smile on her face. With his weapons on the table, Damon seated himself across from Rias. "I have room in my house for more players. And you, Damon, descendant of Sparda, would be a most valuble asset." Rias then placed a pawn piece on the coffee table, right between Damons swords, "I believe you got the just of what the Evil Pieces are last night, correct?" Damon nodded, "Well then, I think the pawn would be perfect for you." Damon looked at the pawn piece, and gripped it in his hand, leaving his index finger free,
"Tell you guys what," he said, placing the pawn piece into his jacket pocket, "I'll take this into consideration. Nothing for sure yet, so don't get your hopes up." Adrian nodded understandably,
"I understand. Well just know that the offer will still stand." Damon nodded, and gathered up his weapons,
"Thanks for the clean clothes and everything," he said, and made his way out the door, clearly deep in thought.
Several hours later...
Adrian had no sooner kicked down the kickstand to his motorcycle than he was at the door to complete his summon. He knocked on the door, only to see it partially open.
Somethings wrong, thought Adrian, and he took a single step into the house, and he was blasted with the same feeling he received when he was close to the church. Something is VERY wrong.
Adrian slowly set both feet into the house,
"Hello? I'm the devil sent by Rias Gremory...anyone home?" He closed the door behind him, readying his right arm in case his blade was needed. "I'm entering the house...so don't be alarmed..." He made his way down the dark hallway, approaching a dim light at the end. He stopped right before rounding the corner, seeing something red pooling on the floor. Adrian used his infrared vision, and saw two heat signatures, one about the size of a normal human, the other was a large mass, and it was slowly growing cold, almost to a crawl. Adrian encased his arm in tendrils, blade just ready to be formed. He rounded the corner, and found out what the mass was; dead mangled corpses, sliced apart, ripped apart, and piled in a heap on the floor. Any normal human would have thrown up at the sight, but for Adrian, it simply reminded him of New York. So either someone let a hunter or brawler loose on the room...or somebody sick in the head had been here. Adrian, now bearing a frown, turned to the human figure he saw with his infrared vision, seeing him seated in a chair facing the far wall.
"'Punish the wicked,' words to live by. Yes...wise advice to heed from a holy man." The man then tilted his head back to look at Adrian, an insane gleam in his eyes, tounge hanging out like a sick reptile. Adrian tensed up, and the man rose to his feet,
"Well well, you just walked into the wrong house my friend. Freed Sellzen here at your service!" He took a bow while Adrian took a careful look at him, he had grey hair, brownish red eyes, dressed in a blue and gold coat, and a white shirt and pants, but most notable about him was the gold cross around his neck. He then straightened up, and continued his introduction, dancing while he did so, "and you must be scared little pussy whose devil ass this priest is gonna exorcise!" Adrian stood his ground,
"A priset?" He asked, more skeptical about that statement than afraid.
"Yep, I work for a certain devil purging organization you may have heard of," he said, almost in a purr. Adrian took another look at the heap of bodies, then back at the priset, using his free hand to point,
"Your handiwork kind of screams the opposite," said Adrian, not too pleased in the least. Sellzen tutted,
"Them summoning you was proof that they were done being human," he turned to the mass, "END OF THE LINE SINNERS!" He turned back to Adrian, the madness in his eyes intensifying, "So I had to chop them up into itty bitty pieces!" He then reached into his coat, "Putting down degenerate devils and the lost souls who cry out to them is my job," he withdrew his hands from his coat, revealing a pistol and...a dildo?
The fuck?! Adrian briefly wondered to himself as Freed continued,
"And no one does it better than me!" A blade, seemingly made of light, expanded, and Adrian actualactually sighed in relief,
"A sword of light of light. For a second I thought that thing in your right hand was a dildo for some reason." Freed frowned at the comment,
"Just for saying that, I'm going to cut out your evil heart with my heavenly blade of light first, then with my righteous gun I'm gonna blow a hole in your wicked demon face!" He didn't have time to say anymore words as a foot collided with his twisted mug, making him rear back as blood began to drip from his nose. A massive blade swung past the priests neck, slicing off the golden cross, and with the backswing of the blade, sliced Sellzens gun clean in half. The cross and gun parts clattered to the floor as Sellzen tried to shoot his now useless gun,
"Sorry, my bullshit tolerance is really low, and I'm pretty sure I passed it just seeing THAT," Adrian pointed to the mass once again, "so here's what's going to happen." Adrian, now revealing his blade, brought his free hand across the blade, testing the sharpness, "How about I slice that tongue out of your gullet with this blade, and then I'll stuff my foot up your pansy priesty ass!" Both men charged at each other, blades crashing against each other, with Sellzen being clearly outmatched in terms of both speed and strength, but Adrian had to be careful not to let the light blade touch the rest of him. Once it seemed both men were at a stalemate, Sellzen tossed the blade to his free hand, swirled around and sliced Adrian straight up his chest, and off his right shoulder, landing a solid kick to the wound, making Adrian step back, yet he was still standing on his feet.
"Okay shitrag," Adrian growled, and his left arm formed the mysterious Sacred Gear, "Time to bring the ax down!" I told myself I wouldn't use this again until I found out more about it, but desperate times call for desperate measures, Adrian quickly thought to himself.
"Oh, is the devil angry? Maybe it's time for Freed Sellzen to send you back to the abyss-!"
CRANG!
Sellzen stumbled back, clutching his jaw after Adrian backhanded it with his Gear.
"Sellzen you keep running that mouth of yours, and I'm gonna break it!" Adrian then held his Sacred Gear towards Sellzen, aiming to do what he had done to Damon not a day before, until a shriek split the air, making Sellzen turn to the entrance way.
"What the hell? Asia, what are you doing here? Are you done creating the barrier already?" He asked, still rubbing his sore jaw, as Asia gawked in sheer horror at the mess of bodies Sellzen left. Adrian dropped his guard, and both his blade and Sacred Gear vanished,
"Asia...?" Adrian asked, more of himself than her, but she didn't even seem to notice him.
"Please...please don't do this!" She begged.
"Right, a newbie," said Sellzen, as if remembering something half important. "Well then I guess it's time you learned!" He bent down to her eye level, and explained in the most simplistic format possible, "This is what the job is my dear. We dispose of unfortunate people who have been bewitched by the evil devils!" Asia turned to Sellzen, eyes wide in shock, only for them to widen even more at the sight of Adrian. With his guard down, Adrian removed his hood,
"No...it can't be!" She squeaked.
"Asia..." Adrian began, only for Sellzen to cut between them,
"What's going on here? Do you two KNOW each other?" He inquired. Adrian glared at Sellzen momentarily,
"Adrian, why are you here?" Once he looked back to Asia, he sighed in defeat,
"I'm here...because I got summoned, Asia. I...am...a devil...or at least half devil anyway." Asia covered her mouth,
"No, that can't be true!" Adrian slowly unfurled his wings, proving that it is very well true.
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't realize at the time that simply our speaking with each other was a serious offense. But once I did find out...I figured it would be safer for you not to see me again. Because sadly since I lived in New York bad things keep happening to good innocent people I'm around, no matter how small the connection." He paused to let that information sink in, "I'm sorry for my deception. Even if it was unintentional," he then smirked, "I suppose I'd ask for forgiveness, but I'm certain I'm in no position to ask for it now, am I?" Asia's tears were already flowing,
"Oh heavens!"
"Not that this isn't heartwarming," Sellzen once again butted in, "but you and your friend here have no business being together." He then bent down again, being too close to Asia for Adrians liking. "The fallen angels have expressly forbidden any form of contact between our kind and theirs, or have you forgotten that already?" Adrian glared at Sellzen,
"Fallen angels, you say?" He then tried to advance on the priest, but as soon as he tried, Sellzen whirled around, and drove his sword into Adrians abdomen, drawing a gasp from Asia. Freed then yanked it out of the poor devil, and stabbed him some more, twice, three times, four, five, six...Adrian, after losing count, fell to his knees, bleeding, and not regenerating. A mouthful of blood escaped Adrian, and he had no choice but to look up at Sellzen.
"Now then," said the twisted priest, "shall we do what we came here to do?" Sellzen brought the blade of his sword to Adrians throat, "Not that it matters, but I hope you've said your prayers!" He then raised his sword, aiming for a beheading, until Asia ran in between Sellzen and Adrian, a look of teary eyed defiance crossing her face.
"Asia, please don't stand in front of that psychos blade, especially for me," pleaded Adrian.
"You've got to be kidding me with this," said Sellzen, bearing a flat tone.
"Please don't, I beg you for mercy! Forgive this man of his sins father! Couldn't we just let him go?" Asia begged, to which Sellzen rolled his eyes,
"That thing isn't a man, it's a devil, you made a pledge to defeat our enemies!"
"It doesn't matter to me WHAT he is, there's goodness in him, I know it! You can't just kill him! How can you actually believe our father would approve?!" Sellzen snarled,
"Enough of this bullshit!"
"Asia NO!!" Shouted Adrian, but Freed already brought the sword down, slicing through Asia, making her shriek, and Adrian bounded at Freed, tackling him to the floor in blind rage, slugging him in the face over and over, feeling Freeds skull begin to crack under his fist, until...
BLAM!
Adrian fell back off of the priest, a small hole in his chest, barely missing his heart, and the bloodied Freed slowly rose up, a second gun with a smoking barrel in his grip. Sellzen fired two more rounds into each of Adrians knees, making sure he can't rise up again. Adrian half growled half shouted in pain, and Sellzen made a move for Asia, who, to Adrians surprise, was still standing.
"You've lost your fucking mind!" The priest shouted in a maniacal rage, "What, are there maggots growing inside that stupid head of yours?" He grabbed Asia roughly by her jaw, and Adrian rolled onto his stomach, trying to stand up,
"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE YOU BASTARD!!" Bellowed Adrian, and he slowly made his way to his feet. Sellzen, not paying him any mind, used his sword to pin Asia to the wall, arms over her head, leaving her both venerable AND exposed, as Adrian quickly found out. With Asia dealt with, Sellzen returned his mad gaze to Adrian, gun aimed,
"What exactly are you going to do you devil scum? Kill me? The way you are?" Adrian glanced to the entrance way, only for a split second, and returned his glare back to Sellzen, and luckily he didn't notice, which made Adrian smile on the inside.
"Kill you? The way I am? No," said Adrian, slowly circling the room, making Sellzen keep his gun aimed,
"Hold still you naughty devil!" Shouted the mad priest, and for once, Adrian did as he was told. "What scheme are you up to?" Sellzen asked, almost smelling something amiss. Adrian held his hands up in surrender,
"I'm not scheming anything," said Adrian, and he tilted so he could look Asia in the eye, "I'm sorry Asia," he said honestly, "but I can't save you..." Asia closed her eyes, and Sellzen grinned, until Adrian pointed to the entrance way, "...but he might." Asia's eyes opened, and Freed didn't hesitate to swing his gun toward the shadowy figure standing perfectly still in the entrance, and opened fire.
The gunfire made Asia scream and Sellzen laugh, until he saw that none of his shots were affecting the figure, and saw he had a gun of his own, firing in sync with his own...and shooting the bullets out of the air! Sellzen stopped shooting, and the figure stepped into the light,
"What's up Damon?" Adrian asked rhetorically, and the devil hunter kept his gun raised at Sellzen, glare intensifying as he entered the room.
"Please tell me not all priests in this world act like that," Damon said, his eyes not leaving Sellzen for a second.
"Another devil scum? Must be my lucky night," said Sellzen, only now he was beginning to look concerned, as he was still injured from Adrians assault. His concern turned to horror as Damon covered the distance between the two, grabbed him by the collar, and threw him across the room, into one of the chairs that Adrian saw him seated in when he first entered the house, tipping it backwards, and leaving Sellzen in a twisted mess.
Adrian then stumbled over to Asia, wrapping his arms around her waist,
"Damon, the sword," Damon saw the sword pinning Asia to the wall, and tore it from the wall, letting the nun fall into Adrians arms. Asia, as she was falling, wrapped her arms around Adrians neck out of instinct, supporting herself, and unintentionally hurting Adrian. His knees popped from the drop, and Asia quickly let go, trying to check on him while covering herself.
"How about I help you before you help me," said Adrian, and he formed a red rune over Asia, passing it over her, and she quickly discovered her outfit had been repaired.
"Th-thank you Adrian!" Asia stuttered. Sellzen slowly made his way to his feet, now with Asia supporting a weakened Adrian, and an ever ready Damon gripping the hilt of the Green Knight, revving the gearshift. To everyone's surprise, Damon actually tossed Sellzen back his sword,
"You sir, are gonna need that here in just a second," said Damon, revving the Green Knight some more, and the priest simply growled. Everything suddenly stopped when another red rune appeared, this time between both Damon and Sellzen, and out leapted Kiba, locking blades with the insane priest.
"Hey guys! Thought you could use a hand!" Kiba forced back the priest as Akeno and Koneko soon filed out of the magic circle,
"Ew that is gross!" Said Akeno, glancing at the massive mess of bodies still in the room,
"An exorcist," Koneko said bluntly, glaring at Sellzen.
"Alright!" Cheered the priest, "Now we got a good old fashioned gang bang!"
"You just HAD to make it weird," said Damon, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid Adrian here is with us," said Kiba, "So you're done here."
"Oh we're far from done!" Said Freed, lost in his own madness too far to be concenred anymore, "So what's the deal? Is he the pitcher and you're the catcher?"
"For a priest you got quite a mouth!" Stated Kiba, legitimately surprised.
"Oh and what are you? The impropriety police?" Sellzen asked sarcastically, "Get off your high horse douche bag!"
"Are you guys SURE he's a priest?" Asked Damon, turning to Adrian and Asia, to which Asia kept silent, and Adrian answered,
"I am sure of nothing at this point Damon." Suddenly, a pulse of dark magic flew through the magic circle, and hit Sellzen square in the chest, followed by a clearly upset Rias, who herself was followed by Calvin, Katrina and Issei.
"Holy shit!" Issei gasped, looking at the bloody mess.
"Looks like my ancestor was in the room," said Katrina, inspecting the carnage herself.
Rias turned to Adrian, inspecting the wound,
"You are badly hurt Adrian," she stated with sorrow, "I'm sorry I sent you here alone, and straight into the hands of an exorcist."
"You didn't know, besides, I got some help," and they both looked down in time to see Asia shining the same green light as before, healing Adrians wounds in his torso, and Damon then made his way to the front of the group,
"Thanks for the assist guys, but I call dibs on kicking the shit out Jose Con Psycho," he said. Sellzen laughed at Damon,
"You think you can stop me? I am Freed Sellzen! I kill devils for a living! I-!"
BLAM!
Sellzens face contorted to an unimaginable pain, and he slowly looked down, a rose of blood starting to bloom on him...right from his crotch.
"YOU SHOT HIM IN THE DICK?!" Shouted Issei and Calvin together.
"HE SHOT ME IN THE DICK!!" Screamed Sellzen.
"I shot him in the dick!" Wheezed Damon, trying so hard not to laugh, and failing miserably.
"Fallen angels incoming," said Koneko, and a portal opened up over Sellzen, who had since dropped his sword and gun, and clutching whatever was left of his nether regions.
"Akeno, prepare a jump," commanded Rias. Soon all the members of the ORC were standing on a large red rune, with Damon and Asia standing near the entrance of the house.
"Wait a minute, what about Damon and Asia?" Asked Adrian, being supported by Calvin and Issei.
"I'm afraid since they aren't part of my household the rune won't work with them. I'm sorry," said Rias. Adrian stared at Asia wide eyed,
"Don't worry," she said, "I'll come and find you again. I promise."
Adrian then hurried through his pockets, and tossed something to Damon right before he and the ORC vanished from sight. Damon caught it, and saw it was a set of keys, making him look outside at the motorcycle parked outside. Damon smirked,
"Asia, right? Ever riden on a motorcycle?" She shook her head, "Well there is a first time for everything," he said, and he grabbed her hand and dashed out the door, right before a familiar fallen angel with sunglasses dropped from the portal, landing on his feet. His eyes briefly glowed, and he turned to Sellzen,
"Ah Wesker!" Gasped the priest, "So good to see-!"
"Where...are they?" He asked menacingly, silencing the priest, and making him gulp.
This is going to hurt... he thought to himself.
