A.N. [New Chapter. Please remember to Review once you have read the chapter. Also read the AUTHOR NOTE at the end, it is VERY IMPORTANT]

Note:

" Talking "

' Thoughts '

( Ddraig speaking inside ) In Issei's mind

( Ddraig speaking out loud )

White Wings

Chapter 7 – Questions and Answers

Previously on White Wings

Outside the Gremory peerage arrived at the church. "What happened here, there was that huge holy energy coming from here but it just disappeared" Rias said as they walked into the church. Koneko took some sniffs around when they group made it to the underground room. On the floor were some black feathers but there were also two white ones. "There was an angel here" Kiba said picking up the white feather which burnt him making him drop it. "Issei and Dulio Hyoudou scents are here" Koneko said making the groups eyes widen. "They are angels" Rias said with fear in her voice.

~o~O~o~

Now

Heaven [Zebel]

A day had passed since Issei and Dulio returned to heaven while Asia was still asleep as her body was trying to return to normal after everything it went through. It now being Sunday evening and at the Zebel the two Jokers along with their Kings were sitting down at the large table. At the head of the table sat Michael with Dulio to his left, Gabriel to his right with Issei to hers.

"I called you here to say that you need to go back down to Kuoh" Michael said looking to the two teenagers. "Why, the mission is over, isn't it?" Issei asked as he leaned forward slightly. "I received word from Azazel saying that when he talked to those fallen angels you captured they said that they were following someone else's orders thinking they came from him" Michael explained getting a groan from both Jokers. "Who did they get them from then?" Issei asked. "From Kokabiel, while he hasn't done anything too drastic Azazel thinks that there is something more going on" Michael explained getting a sigh from Issei. "Good luck" Dulio said with a grin to Issei who raised an eyebrow. "You're going too" Michael said making Dulio's grin falter while Issei got one of his own.

"But what about Asia, I can't just leave her" Dulio said as he leaned forward. "Don't worry about that, I'll watch over her and once she wakes up I'll let you know" Gabriel said in a soft voice as he looked at Dulio who slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Now go get ready, you have school tomorrow" Michael said with a smile making the other two groan… again. Both teenagers stood up and started making their way towards the sleeping quarters, since both stayed at the Zebel, when Gabriel ran forward and caught Issei's shirt making him turn to face her. "There is something we need to talk about" Gabriel said seeing the confusion in Issei's eyes. "Alright, I'll meet you at the Garden in a few minutes then" Issei said getting a nod from Gabriel who then released him allowing him to continue walking with Dulio. "What was that about?" Dulio asked making Issei shrug his shoulders "Not sure, but after we're packed I'm going to see her" Issei asked as he went to his own bedroom to pack.

~o~O~o~

Garden of Eden

Gabriel was waiting in the Garden of Eden sitting down on the grass below one of the trees. Looking up she could see Issei walking towards her until he sat down beside her. "So what did you want to talk about?" Issei asked as he faced her. "I wanted to give you something" Gabriel said as her palm started to glow golden and once the light faded there was a necklace on it, it was very simple having a thin gold chain but hanging from it was a round jewel which glowed in a misty white. Gabriel took one of Issei's hands and placed the necklace on it watching as the jewel glowed brighter until it calmed slightly. "What is this?" Issei asked in a soft voice as he touched the jewel.

"I'm worried about you. Kokabiel is not someone to underestimate so if you ever have to fight him I want to know that you have some protection. That necklace will tell me if you are in trouble or hurt so I can come and help or it will take you somewhere safe" Gabriel explained as she looked down. "You didn't have to do this, you know how careful I am, it's Dulio who would need something like this" Issei said with a smile on his face but it vanished once he noticed Gabriel's face. "But I will accept it" as he said this Gabriel looked up and gave him a smile. "Thank you, I'd feel much better if you wore it" Gabriel said as he made Issei turn around so she could place the necklace on him as she leaned forward to clip it on.

"Thank you" Issei said once the necklace was on as he turned around to face her again. When he did, their faces were inches away from each other since Gabriel hadn't moved back once she placed the necklace on. The two looked into each other's eyes not moving as though time stood still. 'What's this feeling?' both angels thought at the same time as they moved only a little bit closer. "HEY ISSEI WHERE ARE YOU?! WE NEED TO LEAVE AND IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR DINNER!" Dulio's yelling snapped Issei and Gabriel out of the moment making them both move back slightly, both confused. Shaking his head Issei stood up looking down at Gabriel who didn't meet his eyes. "I… I guess I'll speak to you soon" Issei said with a little bit of nervousness and Gabriel nodded so Issei turned around so head towards the source of the yelling.

"ISSEI WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M HUNGRY!" Dulio yelled again not noticing the rock flying towards him until it hit him on the head making him fall to ground. "I'm right here, you don't need to be so loud" Issei said watching as Dulio twitched slightly before he got up and brushed the grass off his clothes. "Ouch... what did you hit me with?" Dulio asked as he rubbed the back of his head. "A rock, now come on let's go" Issei said as he walked towards the main building with Dulio muttering behind him. 'What was that with Gabriel, I've never felt something like that before?' Issei thought as the two entered the building going down to the ground floor.

~o~O~o~

Kuoh [Temporary House]

Back at Kuoh in the house where the two stayed before, a golden magic circle appeared. "Let's get unpacked" Issei said as he stepped out of the circle when the light vanished. When he didn't get a reply, he turned and saw that Dulio wasn't with him "Dulio? Where did you go this time?" Issei muttered the last part as he walked over to his bedroom dropping the bags on the bed. When he was about halfway finished unpacking he felt the holy aura return in the house so he walked to the lounge. There standing in the middle of the room was Dulio with both arms so full with boxes he seemed to be struggling with them. "Where did you run off to?" Issei asked as he grabbed some of the boxes in Dulio's arms. "I went to get some Chinese food" Dulio asked with a grin on his face. "I know but where, we didn't order anything yet" Issei asked.

"Oh, I got distracted when using my own magic circle that I ended up in China, I was about to come here when I smelt something amazing so I followed it and found this food place, so I ordered a whole lot of it and then came back here" Dulio said with a proud smile as he walked to the kitchen and came back holding a knife and fork. "I think you forgot something" Issei said with a sigh. "You're right, I forgot to get desert" Dulio said with a horrified look on his face. "No, you forgot your bags" Issei said as he walked back to his bedroom. "Oh" Dulio muttered before travelling back to heaven to get the bags he should have got the first time.

~o~O~o~

The next morning Issei woke up 'Right, school' he thought as he got out of bed going to the bath room to relieve himself. When he finished, he went straight to Dulio's room noticing the door was open. 'Is he already awake?' Issei thought as he looked inside but Dulio wasn't there. "Okay" Issei muttered as he walked down the passage until he came to the kitchen grabbing himself a glass of water then to the lounge. There on the couch was Dulio asleep in the same clothes from the day before surrounded by the Chinese takeout boxes and some food still on his face. "Should have known" Issei muttered. "Wake up" Issei said as he poked Dulio who turned away while holding one of the takeout boxes. 'No choice then' he thought as he poured the rest of the water from the glass he was drinking from onto the angel on the couch.

"COLD!" Dulio yelled as he woke up with a start standing up while sending the boxes flying around. "Cold, cold, cold, cold" he continued saying as he pulled his shirt off as it was now wet then looked to the cause of the problem seeing an amused Issei. "Why?" Dulio said with confusion. "You fell asleep on the couch, and you smell of Chinese food" Issei said looking down at his now empty glass. "But you didn't have to dump water all over me" Dulio said as he sat back down. "Then you should learn to wake up" Issei said as he walked back to kitchen to put the glass in the sink. When he went to his own bathroom starting up the shower a familiar green circular glow appeared on his left hand.

"Ddraig" Issei said looking at the left hand. (Hey partner) Ddraig's voice sounded making Issei smile. "I take it you're fully recovered now?" Issei asked as he got into the shower. (Yes, finally. So, what have I missed?) Ddraig said making Issei chuckle lightly. "A lot actually. Well for one thing we're back in Kuoh along with Dulio, apparently Kokabiel is operating behind Azazel's back. Two actually tried to kill us. Then a nun got involved which ended up in a fight and we captured the fallen angels giving them to Azazel. But because of that I think the devils know what we are since Dulio released his Sacred Gear two nights ago to fight" Issei explained as the hot water washed down his body. (Kokabiel… Oh I remember, he was a loud mouth during the Great War, wanted to continue fighting when the fallen angels retreated) Ddraig said remembering the past while Issei got out of the shower and dried off.

"I bet that the devils are going to approach us today after school" Issei said as he went to his bedroom taking out his school uniform. (School? Why are you at school?) Ddraig asked and Issei could hear the confusion in the dragon's voice. "Michael told us to go, Kuoh is devil territory but it was a request from Azazel that we deal with the fallen angels here. Kokabiel hasn't done anything really big that could cause a war but from what we know about him he would want to" Issei explained as he buttoned up his shirt. (It never is quiet around you) Ddraig said making Issei chuckle. "If it was then you would be bored" he replied getting a laugh from the dragon (True, very true) Ddraig responded while Issei walked out of his room his bag over his shoulder.

When Issei passed Dulio's door he noticed it was closed with the sound of water running coming from Dulio's bathroom. 'I guess he's getting ready then' Issei thought as he walked into the lounge. The takeout boxes were still laying all over the place since they were scattered when Dulio woke up. "Why do I always end up cleaning his messes up" Issei muttered to himself as he started walking around picking up the boxes and the pieces of food that wasn't in the boxes. Once everything was cleaned up and Issei had got something to eat he sat down on the couch and took out his headphones so he could listen to some music while he waited for his 'brother' to finish getting ready.

After half an hour of waiting Dulio came into the lounge completely dressed, and no longer smelling of Chinese food. Issei opened his eyes to look at the other angel who had a roll in his mouth 'Where does he get all the food?' Issei thought with a sigh as he stood up. "You ready?" he asked and Dulio nodded. "The devils are probably going to want to see us, they most likely felt your holy power a few nights ago, and know we are angels. So, if they do come we need to be careful because any wrong move and we won't need Kokabiel to start a war" Issei explained looking to Dulio making sure he understood. "Don't worry so much, even if something happens we can deal with it" Dulio said walking towards the door. 'That's what I'm afraid of, when you 'deal' with something it is never subtle and we usually have to make a run for it' Issei thought remembering other times they worked together where most got more complicated because of Dulio's behaviour.

~o~O~o~

Kuoh Academy [Student Council Room]

At the school both Rias and Sona along with their peerages were gathered in the Student Council Room. "Are you sure they are angels?" Sona asked to the redhead sitting beside her. "Yes, but I don't know how we missed it until now" Rias said with some worry in her voice. "I think I know who Dulio really is, but Issei I'm not certain. Perhaps we should ask them about it" Sona said making the others look at her with wide eyes. "You want to talk with them, angels, that could be dangerous" Rias said as she also had wide eyes. "True, but they haven't done anything since they came here until a few nights ago, I would also like to know what happened to the fallen angels that were in the abandoned church" Sona explained as she pushed her glasses up her nose. All devils stiffened in the room as they looked out the window which had a clear view of the front gates. There walking inside were the two angels in question. 'They aren't even hiding their presence anymore' Sona noted when both angels turned in their direction catching their eyes. "After school lets all gather in the ORC clubroom to have a talk with them" Sona said getting a nod from the others who were nervous.

~o~O~o~

With Issei and Dulio

Walking into the school both angels were releasing some of their holy aura, just enough to tell the devils what they were but not how strong they were. When they passed the gate both felt eyes on them as they looked to the source and caught the eyes of the devils. "It seems they are watching us already" Issei said as he turned away to look at Dulio who was now focused on the muffin in his hand. "Where do you keep those?" Issei asked as Dulio faced him. "In a pocket dimension" Dulio explained with a grin making Issei sigh. "Those are supposed to be used for weapons and other important items, not food" Issei said as he continued walking to the school building. "But the food never goes off in there. I can keep it there for weeks and it will still taste the same… wait… food is important, so it's fine then" Dulio rambled until he came to a conclusion then noticed Issei was no longer beside him so he ran after.

~o~O~o~

After School

RING. RING. The final school bell rang when the door to the classroom opened and two female students walked inside. Akeno on the right with Tsubaki at the left as they made their way to the two angel's tables while being fawned on by the others students. Both angels could tell that the devils were nervous about being around them but they pushed through knowing they had a job to do. Once they did stop at the tables both angels looked up at them. "Excuse me, both of you have been asked to come to Occult Research Clubroom" Akeno said with a slight hint of fear which the two males picked up on. "We were expecting you" Issei said as he stood up grabbing his bag along with Dulio who nodded. "Lead the way" Issei said and the group of four headed out of the classroom hearing the whispers of the other students who had creative imaginations.

~o~O~o~

Occult Research Clubroom

Sitting on one of the couches were both kings, they had sent their queens to get the angels knowing that they were the strongest in their peerage so if something were to happen they could try and handle it until help arrived, if it came to that. Knock. Knock. Knock. The door to the clubroom opened with Tsubaki coming in first "We brought them" she said as she walked over to Sona standing behind her while Akeno did the same with Rias. Issei and Dulio stood there looking around the room but kept on high alert as they were surrounded by devils. "Would you please take a seat" Rias asked as she pointed to the couch opposite them while Akeno moved away to start preparing some tea. They all sat in silence and the tension was thick in the air until it was broken by Sona.

"So, what are two angels doing in devil territory?" she asked as she lifted her glasses up her nose slightly. "Getting right to the point I see, we can't tell you specifics but our orders were to come here and observe some individuals" Issei said choosing his words carefully when he saw most of the devils stiffen "And before you jump to conclusions it's not any of you devils" Issei continued watching as some of them relaxed slightly. "So, you two aren't really brothers" Rias said. "No, but while we are here that is what we are going with, besides we are like brothers already" Issei said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously while Dulio just nodded. "So, you must be Dulio Gesualdo then" Sona said as she looked to Dulio who seemed surprised. "Huh, you've heard of me?" he asked with some confusion as he got a nod from the two devils on the couch.

"The churches strongest exorcist and Michael's Joker" Sona explained getting a few surprised looks from the devils in their peerages. "Ah yeah, but I've only been an angel for 3 years, Issei's been one for a lot longer" Dulio explained getting a sigh from Issei. "So then Issei is your real name" Rias asked getting a nod from Issei "That's correct" Issei said when Akeno started pouring some tea for the others. Dulio picked up the cup and took a sip making his eyes light up. "This is wonderful" he said with amazement looking up to Akeno who nodded her thanks. "If Dulio is the Joker then I guess that makes you the Ace, am I right?" Sona asked looking to Issei who shook his head. "Nope, I'm Gabriel's Joker" when he said this all the devils in the room were shocked.

"Why would they send two angels so powerful here. Is the person you're watching that dangerous?" Rias asked with some fear in her voice. "That depends if he decides to act up" Dulio said as he continued focusing on the tea "He?" Rias asked making both angels pause for a moment. "I don't think you were supposed to tell them that" Issei said looking to Dulio who turned away trying to look innocent then back to the devils. "Yes, it's a he, but that's all we can tell you, though it was unintentional" Issei muttered the last part but Dulio caught it making him flinch slightly.

"So what happened to the fallen angels that were in the abandoned church. On Saturday night we felt the presence of them vanish along with your aura, I take it you were the ones who dealt with them?" Sona asked looking to the two on the opposite couch. "Oh. We didn't kill them if that's what you're wondering, we only captured them and they were sent back to Azazel, not sure what happened to them afterwards but that's not out problem" Dulio laughed after the last part making the devils sweatdrop while Issei lowered his head sighing. "We didn't come here to cause any trouble with the other factions, I know we should have informed you of our presence here earlier but we needed to keep hidden so we wouldn't attract the attention of the fallen angels" Issei started explaining. "Which didn't seem to work since they attacked us" Dulio added.

"Yes, you should have told us about you coming beforehand. This is devil territory and you coming here unannounced could have been seen as an act of war" Sona explained. "We aren't trying to start a war, in fact we are trying to prevent one from happening" Issei said as he leaned forward. Grumble everyone looked to the source of the noise, Dulio's stomach. "Hehe" he laughed nervously. Issei lowered his head looking down at the floor as he sighed. "Another problem" he muttered looking to Dulio who just continued laughing until he stopped after seeing the look in Issei's eyes. "Sorry" Dulio whispered as he bowed his head slightly. "Well, is there anything else you wanted to talk to us about?" Issei asked turning to the devils. "How long do you intend to stay here in Kuoh?" Sona asked as she narrowed her eyes at the angels.

"That depends on the fallen angel" Issei admitted as he leaned back. "One last question, who released that enormous holy aura a few nights ago, at the abandoned church?" Rias asked looking at the two angels. Dulio stiffened but looked away with a guilty look on his face, while Issei turned to Dulio and raised an eyebrow at his actions. "That was him, he doesn't exactly know when to hold back" Issei explained as he turned back to the devils who sweatdropped at Dulio's reaction. "Sorry. It was a lot faster though" Dulio said with a laugh which stopped when Issei looked back at him. "Well I think we should get going. You don't need to worry about us, we won't cause you any trouble for you or the other devils" Issei said as he stood up along with Dulio whose stomach was still grumbling. "I think it would be best if we hide our holy aura again as to not attract attention" Issei said as he started suppressing his aura along with Dulio.

After a few minutes both angels gave off the aura of a human. "I forgot how uncomfortable doing that is" Dulio said as he stretched a little hearing the popping in his back. "What did you do?" Rias asked with a shocked face. "We just supressed our aura. It feels like you are being stuffed though" Issei explained as he muttered the last part as he also stretched. "Well, see you tomorrow then" he added as the two angels made it to the door with Issei going out first. Dulio turned around to face Akeno and smiled. "That tea was amazing, how did you make it. Did you add the…" Dulio started when Issei came back and grabbed him by the back of his shirt dragging him out behind him. "Not now" Issei said as he released Dulio and the two continued on their way.

~o~O~o~

Back in the clubroom all the devils were silent until Rias decided to break it. "Well, that went a lot better than I expected" she said with a deep sigh of relief. "To think they are both Jokers, I knew when I heard Dulio's name but with Issei, that I didn't expect" Sona said as she also released a sigh. "I know, if they weren't angels then I would have loved to have Issei in my peerage" Rias admitted getting shocked looks from the other devils. "What, he's cute" Rias whispered as she leaned back into the couch. "I wonder who the fallen angel they are watching is" Sona said as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'm not sure, but they must be strong to need those two" Rias said with a sigh.

~o~O~o~

Temporary House

"You know you need to learn how to control your stomach, it attracts a lot of attention" Issei said as he walked into the house with Dulio following behind him. "It's not my fault, it has a mind of its own" Dulio protested as he closed the door then started walking to the kitchen. "I need to tell Michael and Gabriel that we were contacted by the devils, also about you telling them that the fallen angel we are watching is a 'he'" Issei said and could hear Dulio drop something in the kitchen when he heard what Issei said. Walking into his bedroom Issei created a magic circle that went around his ear so he could contact Michael.

"Issei, what's the problem. It's only been a day" Michael's voice sounded from the magic circle.

"We spoke to the devils. They knew what we were because of Dulio releasing his Sacred Gear" Issei explained as he sat down on the bed.

"I knew something like that would happen" Michael's said sighing afterwards.

"They knew who Dulio was, being your Joker. They thought I was your Ace but I told them I was Gabriel's Joker before there were any more questions about that. They know we are watching the fallen angels but we didn't tell them who it was. Dulio accidently told them it was a he but stopped speaking once he noticed his mistake. Also, Ddraig is fully recovered" Issei said as he lay down on the bed looking at the necklace that was around his neck as he touched the jem hanging from it.

"At least there wasn't a violent confrontation since we don't want any fighting with the devils, things are already stressed enough with the conference coming up soon. I'm glad to know that Ddraig is recovered, I thought it would take longer but it's good that it didn't because if you have to fight Kokabiel then you may need to use your Sacred Gear" Michael explained getting a nod from Issei… not that he could see.

"I know. I'm happy as well, it never felt the same without Ddraig around to talk to" Issei said with a smile on his face as he stood up.

"Alright, thank you for telling me. Also, Azazel told me that Kokabiel was giving orders to kill any Sacred Gear users that were still human in Kuoh, I'm betting he didn't want the devils to revive anyone with a strong one in case of a fight, well that's Azazel's opinion anyway. By the way do you know what happened with Gabriel, she's been very quiet since you left" Michael asked and Issei stiffened at his words.

"No, nothing at all, well I guess I'll talk to you if I find out anything else" Issei said quickly then made the magic circle vanish before Michael could reply. Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding Issei walked out of his room and towards the kitchen. "Michael isn't angry at you, just be careful with your words" Issei said getting a deep sigh of relief from Dulio. "Thank heaven" Dulio whispered as he leaned against the kitchen counter. After explaining the rest of Michael's message Dulio sighed. "This is become a lot more work" he muttered getting a nod from Issei in agreement. "Well now that the devils are aware of us we have a bit more freedom, but we need to be careful" Issei said as he walked out of the room.

~o~O~o~

~ Until the Next Chapter ~

The next chapter is finished. I know it was a long wait, sorry about that. I was going to have Riser introduced in this chapter but I decided against it. The relationship between Issei and Gabriel is shown, they don't understand the feeling that they have between them but they will later on. I decided for Issei not to have a harem, it's just going to be Gabriel, he will have a lot of girls interested in him but he only likes Gabriel. Dulio will be paired with Asia [After she wakes up].

I'm still trying to decide what should happen in the next chapter, if Riser should come in next or should there be some more development around the characters. Please remember to review and tell me what you think, and sorry again for the wait.

~o~O~o~

IceQueen In The Summer