Chapter 128: Mind Melding

Sometime later...

Adrian, Pennie, Thatan and the Elites were now soaring across the sky in the Brutes ship, which Adrian knew to call a Phantom,

"Here," said Thatan, pointing to the ground below, "this is where we will make camp." The one other male Elite who was flying the Phantom began to slowly take the ship down and land it, with Adrian looking around curiously,

"So, if the Brutes are looking for us, should we be worried that they may have stuck a tracking device in this ship?"

"I already deactivated it," said Pennie, with the ship landing on the ground safely. As the doors opened, Adrian saw they were now in a gorge, with a single green leaved tree, and a waterfall in the furthest end. The landscape may have been just another day for Pennie and the Elites, but for Adrian, it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen, just as much as when he was in the Elven world,

"This place is beautiful," Adrian commented. Thatan turned to Adrian,

"Do they not have places like this where you're from?"

"Not quite like this," said Adrian. Pennie briskly walked past him, bumping the back of his shoulder as the remaining Elites began to set up camp, "Did I say something to upset her?" He asked.

"When she tried to mind meld with you earlier, I think it may have had an added effect on her," said Thatan. "Something about screams in your head?" Adrian sighed,

"Part of having the Blacklight Virus is that I can absorb living and nonliving things, gaining powers, abilities and memories." Thatan gave Adrian a look of concern,

"'Absorb?'"

"I've killed people Thatan...and I'm not proud of it," said Adrian, looking away, "sure most if not all of it may have been to protect myself and those I care for, but...I wish I didn't have to." Thatan placed a hand on Adrians' shoulder,

"If you did it to protect those you care for, then there is honor in what you do." Adrian scoffed,

"Try telling that to Pennie." He stepped away from Thatan, keeping himself distanced from the others. Thatan brought a finger to his chin in thought, and approached Adrian again,

"Adrian, can you 'filter' your memories, for lack of a better term?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, wondering if such a thing were possible.

A few minutes later...

Adrian and Thatan approached Pennie, who gave them both a timid look,

"Don't tell me that you want me to try and mind meld with him again," said Pennie with a concerned tone.

"I don't think you need to worry too much," said Adrian, "I found a way to seal off the memories of those I...defeated...and you should be able to view my mind safely and painlessly." Pennie stared at Adrian,

"Why do you want me in your head?"

"Because I want you to trust me," said Adrian, "and looking into my past sounds like the best way to do so...and I also still feel bad for earlier." Pennie paused, and after a moment of pondering, she nodded her head,

"Okay...then let's go ahead and do it here..." Pennie had Adrian step closer to her, placed her fingertips to his temples, and whispered, "...embrace eternity." Her eyes turned black once again, and Adrian could feel her psychically probing around in his brain. "Gracious...New York seemed so peaceful until this Mercer figure turned it into hell," she commented. She continued to look through Adrians' memories, until she spoke again, "Moved to Kuoh Town...So you turned yourself into a Devil to save the life of Issei Hyuduo? How noble...Raynare...Phoenix...oh my!"

"What?" Asked Adrian, concerned.

"Nothing, I just didn't know you and Lady Rias already..." Pennie then blushed, and Adrian figured out what she had seen,

"That's kind of private. Don't you think?"

"Agreed. Now let's move right along..." Pennie blushed even more than before, "... Miss Asia too?!"

"Alright," said Adrian, growing annoyed, "let's skip my personal life please."

"Right! Right..." said Pennie, clearing her throat, "Now we have Holy Swords...Kokabiel, as frightening as he is...what in hell?!"

"That guy you're seeing is most likely Zeus," said Adrian, knowing her look of shock. Pennie gasped,

"And your friend...Calvin..."

"Dead at his hands..." Adrian muttered.

"I'm so sorry..." said Pennie, legitimately sorry for Adrians' lost friend, "...I'll go ahead and move on to the next memory..." She continued on probing, but suddenly stopped, her eyes returning to normal, drawing her hands back, and taking a few quick steps away from Adrian, facing away from the Devil Virus.

"What's wrong now?" Asked Adrian.

"Nothing..." Pennie lied, hiding a blush so emmense it was turning her blue face purple, "...I just need to take a break for a moment..." Adrian paused, then crossed his arms with a frown,

"You saw the pool party memory, didn't you?" Pennie simply strided away from him, her blush intensifying beyond belief. Adrian brought a palm to his face, and as soon as his hand slid down his mug he saw Thatan standing in front of him, his height finally registering to the young Devil Virus,

"Now I don't care if you're a Devil, especially since you saved my people," said the Elite, but his demeanor swiftly changed from understanding to vicious when he grabbed Adrian by the front of his jacket and held him up so they were face to face, "but I will say this: if you hurt Pennie, physically or emotionally, there is no corner in any universe where you could hide from me. Understand?" Adrian nodded, and Thatan dropped him back onto his feet, walking past him with slow strides.

"And I thought I was overprotective for those I care for," he said to himself.

Sometime later...

Night came, with the planets two moons shining brightly in the sky. Most of the gorges' temporary residents were asleep, save for Thatan, who watched over the others, and Adrian, who decided he didn't need sleep, and used his power of the Blacklight to keep himself awake. He was seated a good distance away from the other Elites, figuring that even though he saved them, they wouldn't be too comfortable with a Devil being in their midst.

"Adrian?" The Devil Virus turned, seeing Pennie was approaching him, her armor gone but was clad in a skin tight black suit, no doubt the suit that went under her armor.

"Pennie. I'm surprised to see you still awake at this hour."

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, still looking fairly bashful, "Adrian...can you walk with me for a minute?" The Devil Virus looked over to Thatan, who was already watching the two, silently giving Adrian a nod of permission, and the Devil Virus rose to his feet, following Pennie as she traversed into the gorge. Soon the two of them were by the waterfall they saw before, but now they saw it fell into a large deep hole, and judging from the sound, Adrian assumed it lead to an underground spring.

"So...Pennie, why did you wish to come..." Adrians' sentence trailed off as he saw Pennie stripping off her underarmor, exposing her blue skinned body to the young Devil, "...here?" She looked over her shoulder, casting him a seductive yet nervous glance, and leapt into the hole. Adrian looked down and in, hearing a splash, then looked back at the other end of the gorge, knowing Thatan would want them both back fairly soon, "Thank whatever diety is out there that I can regenerate," he said to himself, and with a deep breath he dove into the hole himself.

SPLASH!!

Adrian sank into the twenty or thirty foot deep pool of water, quickly swimming back up to the surface and gasping for air. He looked around, seeing a smooth portion of rock next to the pool, where Pennie was already waiting on the rock with several green lights resembling glow sticks scattered around, doing her best to look sexy, but her nervousness was clear. Adrian climbed out of the water, giving her a nervous chuckle while trying to keep his composure,

"Eh heh, Pennie, what are you doing?"

"I...want to feel what Rias and Asia felt..." she said, "...everything."

"Don't you think Thatan would be a bit upset with us if we did anything...brash?"

"Thatan saved my life and is my protector by choice, but he isn't my parent." Adrian, wanting to turn and walk away, could only stare, finding himself degenerating his shirt and jacket out of instinct, approaching her and kneeling between her legs,

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He asked, wanting to be sure.

"I know your heart is torn between the two, and I feel selfish for making it a third, but at the same time, I want to be selfish for you. Maybe it's the dragon arm, maybe it's your good heart, but either way I know I want you." Adrian stood up,

"...You haven't seen anything past the pool party, have you?" Pennie looked at him curiously,

"Should I have?" Adrian helped her to her feet, and placed her fingertips to his temples,

"I'm ready to embrace eternity once more," he said to her. She gave him a look of concern, but did as he requested, her eyes turning black to signify her doing so,

"The pool party...Open House...Gasper Vladi...the Leaders Summit...Vali Lucifer..." Pennie gasped, "...Zeus killed your mother?"

"Keep going," said Adrian, wanting Pennie to see a specific memory. Pennie did as she was told, and raised her invisible eyebrows,

"...Llarya...she seems nice..."

"Further..."

"...The Devil May Cry...the mirror house..." Pennie gasped, drawing back her hands as her eyes reverted back to normal, "What...what was...?"

"The teeth and orange eyes? That's what happens when a Devil strays from his master, and tries to fulfill his own selfish desires..." Adrian explained, turning away from her, "he becomes an evil damn monster." Adrian then felt a pair of arms wrap around him, feeling Pennies' bare chest pressed to his back,

"You may have gone astray Adrian," she agreed, "but you are not a monster, and I know your friends would be here for you..." She turned him around, placing a gentle palm to his cheek, "... just like I will be." She pressed her lips to his, starting off gentle and turning more intense with each passing second, wrapping her arms around his neck. Adrian then had a thought as he was gently pulled back down to the rock,

"Wait! Wait..." Pennie looked up at him, her eyes showing a bit of hurt, "Not here, not now. I hurt those I loved...like this. I don't want to hurt you too." Pennie blinked, a small tear rolling down her cheek, but gave Adrian a smile,

"Good. Thank you Adrian." He then helped the Asari girl to her feet, pulling her to himself, and used his wings to fly them out of the cave...