R3hmix - LOL sorry, I love to leave it out on clifhangers every once in awhile. Let's just say that Issei and Asia aren't too trusting of Rias and the devils anymore after this chapter.
Guest - Thanks, I hope you keep reading and giving me feedback :)
Ghost - Yeah I'm definitely not going to make him an ordinary angel. His relationship with Dulio will be like a mentor-pupil type of thing. I'll definitely take your idea and write it in, thanks for helping me :)
4Issei's heart dropped as the hooded figure removed it's hood, and turned around. Ryusei had never been one for violence. When they were little and Issei would get into fights with other kids who bullied his little brother and Irina, despite the bullying being directed at him, Ryusei would always be the one to break up the fight. He was the guardian angel that Issei always relied on to pull him back from whatever evil he was about to do, and yet here he was. After five years in Hell, here stood the little brother that Issei doesn't recognize anymore.
"It's you?" Issei asked. It was all fitting together now. His sudden return from sea, and at the same time the arrival of this vigilante. Issei wanted to slap himself for not figuring it out sooner. "Why? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were a devil?" Ryusei asked, but there was no malice or contempt to his voice. If anything, there was sadness and regret in his eyes as he spoke. "I'm sorry, brother, but the Ryusei you knew died on that island. I am all that's left of him, and I can hardly say we're the same."
"Ryu," Issei took a step forward, hoping to calm him down. Rias and the others had found them. Issei was back home, sleeping soft and soundly when Rias and Akeno appeared in his house. They'd gotten intelligence from Sona that there was a large shipment from drugs coming in through the Kuoh International Airport. Naturally they put a stop to it, but Rias came up with the idea to set the trap for The Hood…Ryusei. Surprisingly, it worked. Issei flung his arm back and kept Rias and the others at bay. Asia had the same idea. He knew that they were never going to win an all out fight. Devils or not, Ryusei has proven himself to be more than a skilled fighter. After what he did to Amadeus Griffin's security force, and showing his skills in that warehouse, Issei doubted whether or not he could even talk him down, let alone fighting him.
"Whatever you went through, we can help you." Issei said.
"You think I need help?" Ryusei asked. "What do you really know about this city, brother. What lies has she told you?" His eyes focused on Rias. Issei looked back to see his club president expressionless. "What has she told you to keep you from changing things? Has being a devil blinded you?"
"ME?" Issei's temper was about to blow. "Can't you see what you're doing is wrong? You have a sense of justice, you always have. You hated when people with power abuse it. You even hated when we made Irina do the dishes while we played outside because you're just that type of person. This isn't you. You don't kill people-"
"I do now," Ryusei said, shattering what was left of his heart.
"Ryu," Issei pleaded. "Please, don't do this. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to help-talk to you. Whatever happened to you on that island, we can talk. We're brothers, we're family, please. Please let me in."
Ryusei gave Issei an empathetic look. "You're a devil now, so you know of the truth of this world, don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Issei asked.
"How this world really works."
"Do you mean the faction system? Akeno-San has been tutoring me in it." Issei said.
"No," Ryusei said. "Did you know that this city is only so big, only so massive and wealthy because it's rich and powerful have been extorting the poor and the weak? Do you know of the families who have been torn apart and ripped from their homes, because these people, people like Griffin and Greta and Gato…they build themselves up by trampling down those beneath them. Has she told you that this has been happening for decades? And that her family, the family that owns this entire city and is one of the heads of it, has done nothing to help?"
Issei looked back to Rias, confused of what to think. Could he really be telling the truth? Or was he just making things up? But why would he lie? Ryusei wouldn't lie, not to him. "Is it true, Rias? Is he telling the truth?"
Rias was silent. It was Ryusei who spoke. "What I'm doing, it's not justice or villainy. Call me a vigilante or call me a hero, I do not care. But I will not sit idly by and let these innocent families be torn apart. I won't let it happen to any other family. Not ever again."
"Is that why you're doing this?" Issei asked. "You blame yourself for what happened? Ryu, getting stranded on an that island wasn't your fau-"
"I'm not doing this because of me, or because of you," Ryusei said, pulling his hood over his head. "I'm doing this, to keep a promise to a friend."
Before Issei could react, a smoke bomb exploded underneath Ryusei's feet. Issei ran towards it and found Asia on the other side, confused and dazed. "Asia, are you okay?" Issei helped her stand.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine," She smiled. "But Ryusei-Kun."
Issei looked back. Where Ryusei was standing…he was gone. All that remained was a descending feather. Issei reached out and grabbed it. It was a feather of a bird. It was blue, with the ends black that blended in with the blue of the middle, and then faded into white. Issei knew what it was…a farewell present.
…
Lian-Yu, Five Years Ago
"Get down!" Kaito whispered, as everyone dropped down.
Ryusei crawled ahead and stooped low, next to Lyon who was grunting and trying not to groan in pain. Everyone was hiding, just beneath the bushes. Kaito pulled apart a bush and looked ahead. "They're here, they found us."
"What do we do?" Lyon asked.
"We don't have a choice, we have to leave Lyon." Naomi said.
"What!" Krissy was outraged, but Ryusei pulled her close to him and shook his head.
"Don't tell me we're actually going to take him with us? Survival of the fittest guys. He's dead weight. If we don't leave him, we'll-"
"Naomi," Kaito's voice was stern and commanding. "I don't care if we all get captured, we are NOT leaving anyone behind. No arguments."
Naomi whimpered and fell silent. "But what do we do?" Ryusei asked. "If we don't move they'll-"
"Get away!" Lyon shoved Kaito and Ryusei aside, as a rope lashed itself around his neck. How did they find them? That's impossible!
Kaito and Ryusei grabbed onto Lyon's feet and pulled him back, but the force on the other side was greater. Before Ryusei could fall forward, Kaito pulled him back. "Get up, we have to leave. Now!"
Everyone got up and ran back towards the beach. Naomi panicked and gained speed, leaving the rest of them behind. "Naomi, no!" Kaito was too late as something dropped from the trees and swooped her into the dark, mysterious crevices of the forest. "Damn it!"
Kaito grabbed Krissy's and Ryusei's hands and they all ran forward. Ryusei wasn't physically fit enough to keep up with the two of them, when he finally tripped on a tree trunk and scrapped his knee. "Ryu! NO!"
He felt something loop around his ankle. Oh God, he thought. Kaito grabbed his hand. "You are not going anywhere!" He set his feet and pulled. Krissy helped, but it was no use. The force on the other side was stronger, and they were about to get pulled in with them. "No, you guys have to go." Ryusei said.
"What? We are NOT leaving you!" Krissy muttered and pulled harder.
"It's no use!" Ryusei said. "You're either going to dislocate my shoulder or break my ankle, either way I'll only hold you back. You guys need to-"
"WE ARE NOT LEAVING YOU DAMN IT!" Kaito shouted.
Suddenly, from the trees, a knife was thrown from ahead of them and snapped whatever it was that was bound around Ryusei's ankle. Frantically, Ryusei got to his feet."What was that?" Krissy asked.
"I don't know, but we have to-" But the same rope wrapped itself around Krissy's legs. Bounding them together, she fell to her side and began to get dragged off into the darkness.
"NO!" Kaito tried to go after her, but it was too late. Before either of them knew it, she was already drawn into the darkness and gone. "No, why is this happening? WHY!"
As Kaito wept, Ryusei tried his best to not panic. The worse possible thing to do now is lose his focus. They were going to die unless he thought of something. Suddenly, from the bushes, he heard ruffling. Coming from behind one of the trees, a man walked forward. It was Jin. Hasegawa Jin. He was still injured, but managed to get on his feet and held a knife in his hands. Not saying a word, the man gestured for them to come towards his way.
"K-Kaito, look." He pointed to Jin.
Kaito finally looked. "He's alive?"
"I guess so," Ryusei said.
"Then, then that would mean that the others are okay too, doesn't it?" Kaito asked, holding on to whatever last glimmer of hope was left in him. The boy was devastated from what just happened, and so was Ryusei. His black hair was messy and his eyes full of terror and fear.
Ryusei had to be strong. He grabbed Kaito's hands and clapped them together. "You need to calm down, Kaito. I know, I'm terrified too, but losing our heads won't do us anything other than get us killed. Please, you need to get it together."
Kaito stared at Ryusei, before taking a breath and nodding. He got up and holding Ryusei's hand, ran towards Jin as the three of them dissolved into the darkness of the forest.
…
Dulio Gesualdo sat on the ledge of a nearby building, watching as the events at the warehouse unfold. Naturally, he had known about the fake drug bust. Rias Gremory always fascinated him. She had the mind of a general, yet looks that could possibly rival Lady Gabriel…or was he going a bit too far? Either way, she was someone to be feared. It was natural that Hyoudou Ryusei walked right into her trap. With the Priestess of Thunder at her disposal, as well as her mastery of magic, illusions were nothing.
What truly surprised him was how Ryusei reacted to the trap. With all exits closed off from him, and enclosed in darkness, his determination never wavered. He handled the situation with precision and grace. Silent Hunting. The art of killing using only sound. Dulio didn't know that any mortal could perform it. Only a handful of Angels could perform it, at least to Dulio's knowledge. How and where did he learn it, Dulio wondered.
As the moon shined bright in the sky, Dulio stretched his arms, finishing a second bag of potato chips. He ran a hand through his blonde hair. His green eyes full of excitement. Lian-Yu, purgatory. Dulio commended Ryusei for coming out of there sane and full of determination, but it was so much more than that. In Heaven, he was one of the few people who knew what really happened on that island. For centuries, the island had been warded against all incursions, effectively being a prison for criminals that Heaven disposed of. No one, especially not a child, could go through that Hell hole and come out alive, let alone sane. Most of what occurred on the island was a blur, even Dulio could not see what had happened. And neither Lord Micheal or Lady Gabriel could.
"So, what do you think?" Dulio asked.
As per usual, the sound of flapping wings signaled the arrival of another angel. Standing beside him was none other than Griselda Quarta. She was Lady Gabriel's Queen, an extremely powerful exorcist. In fact, many rank her the strongest female exorcist, with Dulio himself being the male counterpart. For some reason, Griselda thinks she's his guardian, or his master, or something like that. Personally, he found it all to be a drag. However, despite her sometimes more demonic nature than the devils themselves, she is extremely beautiful. Not that Dulio didn't care, he just didn't want to be with someone who ordered him around every two seconds. He'd really rather watch things unfold from afar, as he was doing now.
"He's wild," Griselda crossed her arms. "He reminds me a bit of you."
"What? He's nothing like me." Dulio took offense to that statement. "I would never run around with a bow and arrow, I'd rather use a gun, way more effective."
"I don't think that's what I meant," Griselda sighed. "For Pete's sake, I take my eyes off of you for one second and you run off here. Why did you even call me here anyways?"
"I asked you already," Dulio said. "What do you think of him?"
"Well, I can't really say he doesn't have potential now can I?" She asked. "His fighting form and archery skills are commendable, but there is something in him, a darkness that I have never seen before."
"You too, huh?" Truth be told, Dulio had hoped he was mistaken. That darkness inside of him, it must have been from the island. Whatever it is that is within him, Dulio could tell it was holding him back.
"Have you reported him to Lord Micheal?" Griselda asked.
"No, I want to keep watching him for the time being." Dulio smirked. "I assume I can count on your silence?"
Griselda sighed. "Why must you include me in your plans? You know I hate it."
"Oh please," Dulio laughed. "If it was for Xenovia-Chan, I'm sure you'd jump off a bridge and into a volcano for her."
Griselda blushed. "S-Shut up! Whatever, I'm going home then!" She quickly left with the sound of flapping wings.
Dulio opened another bag, as he watched the rest of the show unfold.
…
Issei and Asia went home soon afterwards. Still in awe, Issei didn't know what to say. He didn't speak as the two of them walked home in silent. Asia was clearly confused about the whole thing, but she respected his wishes and didn't pry. He appreciated the gesture and loved her for it. He honestly didn't know how to respond to this. His parents were going to be out for a few more weeks, on Ryusei's suggestion to go have some vacation time. What was going to happen now?
Walking inside, Issei just wanted to jump in bed and sleep, hopefully waking up and finding all of this to be a bad dream. Unfortunately, life had a habit of messing up every single thing he does. Walking inside, he found Ryusei sitting on the couch, alone with the lights turned off and a single torch on the coffee table.
"Ryu…" Issei said. He had thought his little brother would run away. A part of him wanted to run over and hug him, but the rest of him knew better. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry," He said. "I should have told you. I just…I didn't know how to tell you that the brother you cared so much for, the brother you loved, is gone."
"He's not gone…" Issei said. "He's sitting right there, in front of me."
"No, he isn't." Ryusei looked to him. He was crying. Tears falling from his eyes, Ryusei tried his best to remain calm. "I couldn't tell you what happened on the island, because I was afraid of what you might say. The things I saw, the things I did, I don't know if I will be able to control myself if I open those flood gates again."
"Ryu-"
"Ryusei-Kun." Asia, to Issei's surprise, took the initiative. She walked forward, taking off her shoes and walking over to Ryusei. Before he could react, she pulled him to her chest for an embrace. "I may be out of place here, but I can feel the love and the bond between you two. It hurts me to see this…this fight between you two."
"Asia-Chan, it's not really a-"
"Please," Asia raised her voice. "I know what it feels like. I know how it feels to feel unwanted, to feel like your whole world is crumbling around you, to feel like the world is practically screaming at you that your existence is unnecessary. I know, but you can't let that control you. You can't let that fear hold you down."
Asia was speaking from the heart, Issei could feel it. He had almost forgotten her past. The sweet and angelic girl had a past that would've been traumatizing to anyone else, but not her. She was strong, Asia had more determination and willpower than anyone Issei has ever known.
"But…" Ryusei began, but Asia just cuffed her hands around his cheek and rubbed his head gently.
"No buts," She said. "Unlike me, when I was feeling like this, you have a family. You have a brother, dying to help you, a mother and father who just got you back from five years of thinking their son was dead. Please, cast away your fear. Whatever it is that you have been through, no matter what you had to do or what it was you've seen, know that you will always be them same person in Issei-San's eyes."
Issei took off his shoes and walked to Ryusei. "It's okay, little brother." Issei hugged him. "Whatever it is, you can tell us."
Ryusei looked at him, until he nodded and stood up. Ryusei removed his shirt. Usually, Asia would've been embarrassed or at least sneaking a peek, but she immediately looked away. His body, was covered in scars. Slash marks on his abs and chest, arms and neck. Bruising around his ribs and forearm, gunshot wounds around his chest. There were also burn marks on his shoulder blades and upper bicep.
"T-They said that you're body was covered in scars, but I…" Issei felt sick. "What happened to you, Ryusei? Please, tell me."
Ryusei took in a deep breath, and had a look of disgust in his eyes. "The ship malfunctioned, engine failure, when it exploded and broke apart. Luckily, people got into lifeboats and were able to escape, but the following explosion killed off almost everybody. The blast blew me overboard, and I drifted along in the ocean, starving and hungry, until I washed up on the island…on Lian-Yu. There was a boy, a boy your age, who found me and brought me to shore. He saved my life and the lives of five others, but because of me, they died. We weren't alone on the island. We were hunted like animals, until I was caught. This," He gestured to his body. "was for them to find out where they were. Hour after hour, day after day, the pain was so overwhelming…I stopped feeling it altogether."
Asia looked terrified and covered her mouth. Issei just stood in horror. "I told you that Hyoudou Ryusei, died on that island. And I meant it. The boy who was shipwrecked, the baby brother you knew, is gone. Standing in his place is a monster, born from his hatred and fear. I don't know what I am, but I can't call myself Hyoudou Ryusei, not after everything that I did."
Asia stepped forward and took his hand. She smiled, with tears filling her green eyes. "I told you, we weren't going to judge you."
Issei ruffled his hair. "Don't ever think that we'll think of you any differently. You're still the same idiotic brother from five years ago, only difference is that you've been working out."
Suddenly, interrupting their moment, magic circles opened up in the living room. In seconds, the room was filled with devils. Rias Gremory and her queen, Himejima Akeno, Sona Sitri and her queen, Shinra Tsubaki, as well as both of their respective peerages. With them, was a man in his early twenties with long crimson hair, darker than Rias', with eyes that shined like sparkling emeralds. He wore traditional armor, with a chest plate that spiked up at the shoulders.
"Hyoudou Ryusei," the man said. "you're going to need to come with us."
"What? You can't do this!" Issei protested and stood in front of his brother and Asia. "Rias, don't-"
"Step aside, Issei," Rias said in a stern voice. "don't make us hurt you too."
"You are NOT taking my brother." Issei growled. His left arm began to ache. His Sacred Gear was about to manifest, but he simmered down when Ryusei placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay," Ryusei said. "I knew this would happen eventually."
"Ryu, please…" Issei pleaded.
Ryusei walked forward, past Issei and Asia, and held out his arms. The man with red hair cuffed his wrist, handcuffs made from black flame. "Hell-Fire," The man said. "as long as you don't try to escape, the flames won't burn. But if you try anything-"
"I have no intention of escaping." Ryusei glared at the man. "As long as Issei and Asia are not to blame for my mistakes, you can do whatever you want with me."
The man nodded. A magic circle opened up beneath their feet, and swallowed them whole. Issei watched, helpless and terrified, as his brother was taken from him…again. Sona and her peerage left as well, leaving Issei and Asia with the Occult Research Club. Rias stepped forward, sympathy in her eyes. "Issei, I-"
"What are they going to do to him?" Issei asked.
Rias looked hurt, but it soon passed. "They'll take him to the Underworld, for questioning. If needed, they'll use magic to extract whatever they need from him, if he doesn't comply. For your sake, I hope he does."
"How could you let this happen?" Issei balled his fist. "I thought I could trust you, and you serve my brother up to them on a plate."
"Issei, we won't hurt him, but he has knowledge that we need." Akeno said. "There was something on the island he was in, something that could be very dangerous if it ever got into the wrong hands."
"And you think Ryusei knows where it is?" Issei asked.
"That's the problem, Issei," Rias took his hand. "We don't know what he knows, at all. We just want to know he's safe, and not a threat. I give you my word, that we won't hurt him."
Issei pulled his hand away, and stepped back with Asia. "And what if you decide he is a threat?"
Rias sighed and backed away with the rest of the club. A magic circle opened up and began to swallow them, but Rias said one thing before Issei and Asia were left by themselves. "Hope that he isn't."