Deal with the Devil

09


Commissioned by Enigmatic.


"You don't have to go just yet."

Michael and Runeas exchanged a look at Morgan's words, and the pair wrapped the mage in a hug. "We'll be back," Michael promised. "And you can always come visit."

"Besides, you know better than I do just how fast we need to act on this information. You worked too hard to let it just go to waste! You'd have to do it all over again if we did!" Runeas pointed out.

Morgan nodded. "Yes, of course."

"This sucks," Mordred grumbled nearby.

"Well, finish your training faster and you can move in and take up your position as our knight," Michael teased, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she huffed.

"None of that," Michael chastised, pulling her into the hug with Runeas and Morgan and kissing her thoroughly, leaving the teen a bit weak in the knees before swapping with Runeas and kissing Morgan while Runeas kissed Mordred.

They broke up and said their last goodbyes, before Runeas summoned a teleportation circle beneath them and whisked them away. They came out the other side in a back alley in what appeared to be Rome, when they stepped out of the alley.

Runeas sighed, looking around. "It's been a long, long time since I last set foot here," she murmured. Michael sent her a questioning look and Runeas shook her head. "Long story and ancient history. I'll tell you if you like, later, but we should split up for now and look for our target."

"What's this succubus look like, anyway?"

Runeas pulled out a photograph and handed it to him. Michael raised an eyebrow as he studied the woman. Japanese, sharp features, auburn hair, pink eyes, modest bust. "That's her latest and supposedly her default form, but being a succubus, it could change depending on her mood or the mood of those around her."

Michael nodded and took a picture of the photo with his phone before handing it back. "Where do you want to start looking?"

Runeas hummed, before sending him a grin. "I'm going to look into local resources. Police and the like. I'll have an easier time convincing them than you will. Why don't you try the tourist areas and see if you can spot her? If you get close enough, you'll be able to sense her. Actually, if the succ is strong enough, she'll be drawn to you naturally. Succubi and wizards go together like chocolate and sex. You're a huge meal ticket for her and if she thinks she can convince you to take her as a familiar and support her dietary requirements, she will. That was the ideal pairing between humans and succubi, or incubi and female mages, until devils started rounding them up once the Evil Piece system was developed. You should be irresistible to her."

"So… go on a tour of the city," Michael interpreted, and Runeas nodded.

"Yup!"

"Fine," he chuckled. "I'll pick you up a souvenir if I find something nice."

"I'd rather you pick up a succubus! But if you can't find one, any cute and rare species will do!" Runeas nodded, before turning away and going invisible.

He heard a beat of wings and assumed she had left, so Michael turned and made his way into the city. "When in Rome, what do the Romans do?"

The obvious choices were either the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and of course, the Vatican. There were others, but those were the big three.

Where would a succubus hide, if she didn't want to be found by devils?

When he thought about it like that, the choice was pretty obvious. As close as possible to the enemies of devils.

I'll have to be careful, though. I don't think my magic gives off any signs of being connected to Runeas, at least outwardly, but maybe the church has some way to tell. I suppose we'll see.


I'm sorry, husband. I should probably have left you with Morgan and Mordred, but I wouldn't want you to think I think lesser of you or think you incapable. But at the same time, this is the heart of one of the enemies. You should be safe here, and what I said was true—you will make excellent bait to lure her in! But where I go, I go alone, because the church has connections deep within the government and police and I don't want to risk you here. As a normal human, even a mage, you are little danger to them and they to you. But should they discover me, they would kill you out of hand to hurt me.

Touching down outside a police station, Runeas took a few moments to change her appearance and clothes—using illusions, as opposed to a physical change, as it was much faster. When her illusion was finished, she was left looking like a taller, older, brunette woman in a very serious but fashionable suit. Magic bent around her under her will and she began visible. Plastering on a no nonsense expression, she stormed into the police station like she belonged there. The inner doors had some kind of magnetic lock on them and a box on the wall beside them, but a flex of magic had the doors opening, even as the person behind the desk set off to the side stood up to salute as she walked by.

Now, who do I need to talk to—

"Ma'am!" one of the nearby uniformed officers saluted.

Runeas, in disguise, nodded. "I need you to track someone down using a photograph. Who do I need to speak to about that?"

"That way, ma'am," he pointed. "Last office on the left. That's where the eggheads monitor the city CCTV and facial recognition system."

Runeas had no idea what those things were, but she could put the words 'facial' and 'recognition' together and come up with an idea of the purpose of the place she was being directed. Nodding, she thanked the man and hurried down the hall. Not bothering to knock on the door, she entered to find two officers sitting at desks with lots of very large but flat televisions, all showing views from the city on them, and a third officer in a suit sitting in a separate office with the door open.

Ah! The 'tv' part of 'CCTV,' perhaps? Some kind of… City Camera Television system? she wondered as the suited man left his office and hurried over to her with a somewhat worried but confused look. The magic around her meant that anyone who saw her would perceive her both as someone who belongs and a typically distant authority figure, that is, not someone in their immediate command but someone they might recognize from another department, or another part of the government, or someone much higher up in their own chain of command but not stationed here.

"Ma'am? What are you doing here? Is this an inspection?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No. I need you to find someone. Quietly." Taking out the photograph, she handed it over.

"Why not…" he began, only to reconsider the question and shake his head. "Back channel bullshit above my paygrade. Forget I asked. Come with me."

They moved over to a device off to the corner of the room with a few sheets of paper sitting in a tray. He flipped open a lid at the top and put the photo on it face down, before pushing a button. The machine lit up and made a few noises, before he opened the top again and returned the photo to her. Then, he led her over to one of the two people watching the screens.

"Officer Carina," he stopped beside one of the desks, and the young woman sitting there looked up, before abruptly coming to attention in her seat. He waved her off. "Check your inbox."
"Sir?" she asked, clicking away at what must be a computer and bringing up the photo Runeas had sent on one of her screens.

"Run that through the system. She's…?" he shifted his attention to Runeas.

"A person of interest in an international investigation," Runeas supplied. It even had the benefit of being true! Runeas was both very interested in the succubus in question and was investigating her, internationally even!

"Right," Officer Carina nodded. "This could take some time sir, ma'am."

Runeas nodded. "I'll wait."

"Can I offer you some coffee while we wait?"

"Coffee? No, thank you. Cocoa, if you have it!" Runeas grinned.

"Lucius, go fetch our usual from down the street, and a cocoa. And get some donuts or something for everyone. You should probably go ahead and pick up lunch too, while you're at it."

The other officer stood and gathered his coat, before leaving the office. Runeas grabbed a nearby chair and moved it directly beside Officer Carina, where she settled in to watch in interest. The head of the department frowned at that and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to wait in my office, ma'am?"

Runeas waved him off. "It's fine. I don't want to trouble you more than I already have." Turning, she added seriously, "I trust you'll all forget I was ever here?"

"As you say," he nodded, before heading back to his office.

Runeas turned her attention back to the screens with a grin. "So, why don't you tell me how this system works, from your perspective? At the top, no one ever gives it to you straight."

"Of course, ma'am. I've fed the data into our server where it will examine the shapes and contours of the subjects face, ears, and skull—whatever is visible, really. Then it scans through footage taken and stored on our servers from cameras around the city, comparing what it has against everyone else it can see, until it finds the closest match. From there, it determines which cameras last saw the subject and can give us the location of those cameras and the direction and speed the subject was traveling, whether they were on foot or in a vehicle, and so on."

"Interesting. But does it work?"

"Ehehe," the officer laughed nervously. "About a third of the time. If I'm being honest," she lowered her tone and whispered, "it's a huge waste of taxpayer money!"

"Of course it is," Runeas nodded.


Michael leaned on his cane, raising an eyebrow as he inspected the wards around the entrance he was taking into at the Vatican. They were magical, certainly, but also full of an energy that seemed somehow… familiar. Intimately so. It wasn't hard at all to deduce that it was holy and light energy, the same way his wife was filled entirely of energy from the opposite end of the spectrum, but he felt like he knew it from somewhere. He just couldn't put his finger on where he knew it from.

The wards themselves were pretty simple. Mostly just a series of repellents and warnings, meant to keep out anything that responded negatively to holy or light energy and to warn someone whenever anything made an attempt to pass through.

It shouldn't affect me at all, he shrugged, stepping through… only to feel the wards send off a signal. Frowning, he went back over them and rolled his eyes. Oh, they'll alarm on anything supernatural passing through successfully as well, including human wizards.

Shrugging, he went about his business just as a normal tourist would—because at this point, he really was just sightseeing. Him being a wizard was just incidental as far as one of the 'big three' forces was concerned, or at least that's how he hoped it would be percieved. I guess we'll see.

Michael joined one of the many tour groups and followed along as they made their way through the Vatican and the spaces available to the public. He noticed a few magically powerful individuals gathering around his general location, but other than a few of those getting close enough to look at him—and for Michael to meet their eyes and cheerfully wave back—nothing happened, and eventually most of them dispersed. He supposed it was probably just a security precaution and couldn't really blame them. Thinking about it metaphorically, if a guy with a gun walked into his place of business, even if it was an open carry state, he'd still keep an eye on them just in case. That was the reasonable thing to do. Nothing personal, just being security-minded.

Eventually, the tour ended with Michael not having sensed what he was looking for—even if he had discovered several very interesting things instead. I'd love to come back and have a more thorough look at those wards deeper in, but I think they'd frown on that. Eyeballing it in passing is what I'd consider professional interest and curiosity, but any closer, or longer, and I'd start worrying someone was planning something.

It was as he was about to exit the Vatican and move on to his next area of interest that a vaguely familiar voice caught his attention. "Michael?"

Turning, Michael looked around for the source of the voice, eventually spotting an incredibly beautiful blonde woman and a blonde nun walking beside her. And to the other side of the nun was a second, much younger nun, with strands of blue hair visible under her hood. "Aunt Gabriel?"

"I knew it was you!" the busty blonde older lady rushed over and pulled him into a hug that popped several vertebra in his back.

"Oof! It's good to see you again, auntie," Michael grunted as she squeezed him tighter.

"Mou~!" Gabriel pouted, pulling back and glaring up at him. "Enough with the 'auntie!' I don't look that old~! I've told you before, if anything it's big sister!"

That was true. The last time Michael saw her had been when his mother died, and she looked like she hadn't aged a day since. At a guess, he'd place her at a very youthful early twenties.

That was the same day he met his distant uncle—also named Michael, whom Runeas claimed was his namesake, the Archangel Michael. Michael had his doubts, but if it was true, considering the pair were traveling together, that might make his aunt…

Michael reached out with his mana, trying to feel her out. The woman clinging onto him giggled and Michael felt as she swatted his mana away. Playfully. Like an adult brushing a child's hands away from somewhere they shouldn't be. But it was enough to confirm that she was filled with holy light in an amount that was, frankly, staggering—enough to eclipse Runeas by far. Also, that the nun beside her was likewise powerful, but on a human scale, as opposed to his… aunt.

Gabriel brought a finger up to her lips and winked. "Naughty, naughty~! You shouldn't just go poking around like that, Michael! It's not polite, you know!"

"Sorry, auntie. Curiosity," he sent her a smile, even as she pouted again, but apparently decided to let it slide. Michael was kind of at a loss for how to deal with the sudden revelation that his aunt was an archangel—one of the archangels of lore. But the few times he had met her, she was always just his doting aunt/elder sister. So, he fell back on what he was familiar with. If she had wanted anything else, she would have told him so ages ago.

"Ahh, it's fine, it's fine~!" she waved him off, pulling him tightly into her side as she turned to face the nun with her, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Michael, this is my friend, Griselda Quarta and her student, Xenovia! Griselda, Xenovia, this is my nephew, Michael!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Michael smiled, shifting his cane to his left hand and offering his right. Griselda accepted and Michael turned her hand over, leaning in and planting a brush of a kiss on the back.

"Oh my~," the nun smiled, fanning her face as she took her hand back and sending an amused look at Gabriel. "You didn't say he was a charmer."

Gabriel looked between Michael and Griselda, seemingly confused for a moment. "He wasn't!" she protested, before turning another pout on Michael and offering her hand. "Me too~!"

Michael laughed and humored his aunt, before greeting Xenovia as well, who jerked her hand back a little quickly the moment he started to turn it over. Stuck as he was in Gabriel's grasp, Michael couldn't do anything but go along as she pulled him towards the exit. "Let's go get lunch! We should catch up!"

"Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?" Griselda asked, falling into step to Gabriel and Michael's right, with Xenovia shadowing them silently.

"Psh, it's fine~!" Gabriel waved her off.

"What about the intruder?" Xenovia asked quietly, so quietly Michael almost didn't hear her over the crowd.

Gabriel giggled and squeezed Michael again. "We've found him, silly!"

"Huh?"

"Michael is a wizard, aren't you?" Gabriel asked, sending him a grin, to which Michael could only nod. "As I said, it's fine~! So Michael, is this your first trip to Italy?"

"It is," he confirmed, and she beamed a smile.

"Then we have to find something reeeally good to eat! Griselda?"

"Of course," the nun nodded, before pulling out a cell phone. After a moment, she pointed up ahead. "This way."

They made their way to a restaurant where, after a hushed conversation with Griselda, they were seated in a private room in the back. Gabriel enthusiastically ordered for Michael and everyone else put in their orders, before the serving staff cleared out. Resting her chin in both palms, Gabriel stared at Michael with big, innocent blue eyes. Michael manfully resisted the urge to look down the seraph's exposed cleavage, but it was a hard fought battle—he was only a man and his aunt was an incredibly beautiful woman. If he had to compare them, he'd rank her equally—if not perhaps even a little above—his wife. Physically equal, but her innocent attitude scored higher for him than Runeas's horny gremlin attitude, even if he loved his wife and her fun, mischievous, bratty attitude.

"So! How have you been? And what brings you to Rome?" she demanded eventually. "Tell me everything!"

"Ah, well," Michael hemmed, before chuckling. "I'm here on my honeymoon."

Gabriel's eyes widened further and her hand snapped out, snatching Michael's left hand and bringing it up. "Eee~!" the angel squealed happily, giggling as she bounced in place, and Michael lost that test of will as his eyes fell to her chest. "Who's the lucky lady?!"

"Uh, heh. Well, you might know her," he admitted, and Gabriel sent him a curious, impatient look demanding he answer. Casting a glance over at Griselda however, Michael said, "I'm not really sure I should say, however."

"Hoh?" Griselda smiled, while beside her, Xenovia frowned and sat up a bit straighter. "What makes you say that?"

"It's fine~! She might tut a bit, but Griselda is harmless!" Gabriel giggled, earning a put upon look from the nun in question. "Now teeeell meeee~!"

Sighing, Michael nodded and took out his phone, opening it up to the pictures folder as he said, "Alright. Her name is Runeas."

Gabriel hummed, her head tilting as she thought. "Runeas, Runeas, where do I know that name from…?" She looked down at the phone and her face lit up into a smile as she saw a picture of Michael and Runeas, the redhead in her wedding dress and Michael in a suit, Runeas squishing her face against his as she beamed for the camera. "Ah! Gremory!"

Xenovia moved, leaping from her seat and over the table, drawing her hand back as a massive sword appeared in a flash of holy light and she prepared to strike. But for as fast as she was on the draw, Michael was faster. The moment her chair scraped, a single word left his lips—a spell he kept prepared at all times now, after dealing with Mordred and the battle junkie's own ridiculous strength and speed.

"Haste." The world slowed as Michael grabbed the head of his cane and pulled, drawing the sword and standing, thrusting for Xenovia's throat as a second word started to leave his lips—another spell, for dealing with muscle headed idiots too tough for swords alone and a good distraction, for making space and dealing with them. "Fireba—"

Yet, for as fast as Xenovia and Michael were, Griselda was faster, while Gabriel was on a whole other level.

Griselda's own cane came up, tapping the side of Xenovia's sword, redirecting it enough for the thrust to miss Michael. Meanwhile, one of Gabriel's hands came up and gently captured Michael's wrist, while the other pressed a finger to his lips. The entire group froze with Xenovia's sword extended past Michael's head and Michael's own sword at her throat, mana swelling ominously from the wizard but undirected with his incantation cut short.

"Ah, ah, ah! None of that!" Gabriel chastised, gently but firmly pushing Michael back into his seat. The wizard eyed the exorcist in training as he allowed himself to be directed.

"Get down off the table, Xenovia." Griselda simply sighed and shook her head. "Kids these days. No manners at all. I'll see her disciplined, my lady."

Gabriel turned a frown on the blue haired girl climbing down, who suddenly looked deathly afraid. "You should know better than to leap to judgment and rash action, young lady. Tell me, what do you know of Michael's wife?"

Sitting down, Xenovia swallowed nervously. "Just that she is Gremory—one of the seventy-two devil pillar families."

"And where do the Gremory stand, politically?" Gabriel led.

"I, ah," she hemmed, before bowing her head. "I'm not certain."

Gabriel took a breath, then let it out slowly. Nodding, the seraph smiled. Squeezing Michael's wrist, she pulled his hand into her lap and clutched it between both of her own, after giving him a moment to put his sword away. "Runeas Gremory is one of the original devils, directly descended from Lucifer and Lilith. As such, she has immense personal power. I've crossed paths with her before and can attest to her strength personally. However, greater than her magical power is her political power. While other devils were busy infighting, every time she's wandered the Earth, it was to establish ties with powerful people. Mages, politicians, rulers, other races, other pantheons, even contacts within the church. I myself have conducted business dealings with her, in the past."

Xenovia's eyes widened at that. "You?"

Gabriel smiled and nodded again. "Yes. Because while she may have been an enemy, she was also one of the first to see that the never ending war would see us all destroyed and we were all better off finding some way to live in peace. If not work together, then at the least, find a way to coexist without constantly trying to kill or weaken each other. As for the Gremory family in the modern era, they are a reflection of Runeas's desire for peace, but willingness to fight if necessary. Tell me, what do you know of the current four Satans?"

"Just their names. Ajuka Beelzebub, Serafall Leviathan, Falbium Asmodeus, and Sirzechs Lucifer."

"And where did they come from?" Gabriel asked, and Xenovia shook her head.

Griselda sighed. "More lessons," she muttered. Louder, she added, "They are the strongest of the devils. Four super devils, who worked together to wrest control of the devil faction away from those who wanted to continue the war with Heaven and the fallen. But before they took the title of 'great satans,' they came from pillar families. And Sirzechs…"

"Is my… brother in law?" Michael finished for her, shrugging on the title. "Runeas is his great grandmother, but he calls me brother in law, so I'm not going to argue. Whatever works for them."

"What are your honest thoughts on him?" Gabriel asked, and Michael hummed.

"If I didn't know he was the Satan, I'd think he was just a pretty ordinary guy. Devil. Whatever. My opinion is probably biased though, because the only devils I've met so far have been my in-laws. They all seem like decent enough people. I wouldn't even know Rias was a devil if she hadn't been introduced as one, and if I couldn't sense it."

"So you see," Gabriel's eyes narrowed as her smile widened, "rash action could have led to harming the husband of the progenitor of the family most ardently pursuing peace within the devils' faction. Someone who has ties close enough to one of the four leaders of that faction to call him 'brother.' That is, assuming you even got that far. Had I not stopped him, Michael's spell, the follow through for his strike at your throat, would have blasted the surrounding block to flaming rubble if the explosion weren't carefully controlled. I would have survived, but you and Griselda would surely not have. Supposing the worst did happen and you killed him, what do you think that would have done to our chance for an end to war and a real, lasting peace?"

"Er," Xenovia bowed her head, blushing tomato red. "I'm sorry, ma'am! Please forgive me—!"

"Am I the one owed an apology?"

Xenovia shook her head. "I apologize, Michael. It was a mistake that won't happen again!"

Michael sighed, then nodded. "Apology accepted."

"Good!" Gabriel bounced in her seat as the heavy atmosphere dissipated in an instant and she shifted her attention back to Michael. "Sooo…?"

"So?" he asked, confused.

"So when can we expect children?!" Gabriel demanded happily.

Chuckling, Michael squeezed her hand. "We're working on it. Runeas is… very enthusiastic about the idea."

"That's good!" Gabriel beamed. "You'll invite me for the birth, right?" When he nodded, she pouted. "Mou~, I wish you had invited me to the wedding!"

"Well, it was a small, private affair. Runeas doesn't like the spotlight. She's been sleeping the centuries away, hoping to fall out of memory, and for the most part it's worked—save for the people who were around during that time." At that, he looked her in the eye and raised an eyebrow.

Gabriel blushed and smiled, giggling. "It's not polite to ask after a lady's age, Michael~! Hasn't your wife taught you this?!"

"I hardly think numerical age matters when you're immortal, auntie," he pointed out, earning a stuck out tongue in reply. Chuckling, he added, "Besides, you don't look a day over twenty."

"Thank you!" she chirped.

"As for the wedding, we're thinking of waiting a few years, then having a more public ceremony. Runeas wants to show me off, but wants to wait a bit until I'm stronger."

Gabriel nodded. "Mm! Yes, that makes sense. Powerful people are always most vulnerable through their loved ones, after all. Until then, you should be careful. There are many, many people and factions in the world who, if they knew who you were and your relation to the devil power structure, they wouldn't hesitate to attempt to exploit it."

"I'll be careful," he promised. "So, I have to ask. What's an archangel doing down here?"

"Ahh, well," Gabriel giggled, looking a bit sheepish. "I like to walk among the people and get to know the faithful. It helps to reward those of the strongest faith with proof of their devotion. Also, I had some business to tend to with our Earth-side interests. It seems there's been some mismanagement of certain assets. Someone has been awfully naughty and mistreated one of the flock—a very special girl, about Xenovia's age, with a priceless gift from Father. They've labeled one of our most ardently faithful a heretic because of her kind heart and she's fallen into the hands of those who would use her for nefarious ends."

"Want some help?" Michael offered, and Gabriel beamed.

"Of course!" Gabriel looked to Griselda who took out her phone.

"What's your phone number? I'll send you the photo," the nun offered.

Michael told her and, a moment later, his phone pinged. Michael took it out and found himself looking at a young, cute girl of about Rias's and Akeno's age, with honey blonde hair and dark green eyes. "That's Asia Argent," Gabriel explained. "From everything I've heard, she's a very sweet, kind girl. If you find her, could you let me know and look after her for me?"

"You're not worried Runeas might take advantage?" Michael asked, and the angel shook her head.

"Mm, no. I'd like to speak with her at some point, but I believe she may have found a moral compass to guide her into the light," Gabriel smiled.

Tucking his phone away, Michael met her eyes and pointed out the obvious. "You mean me."

"Tehe~! Of course I do! You're a good boy, Michael. I believe you have enough strength and conviction in your beliefs not to get entirely swept up in her pace." She squeezed his hand again at that and Michael raised an eyebrow as he felt something slowly flowing into him—light and holy energy as Gabriel gently poured a small piece of herself into him. It was at that point that he realized why her power, and that of the church's wards, felt so familiar. It was the same thing he had felt there all his life, mixed in with his mana—just sitting there in the background as a tiny spark. A spark which Gabriel had metaphorically cupped between her hands and begun to blow on, causing it to flare to life. He met her gaze and she merely smiled, giving nothing away.

"As for Asia, your wife can look in places I can't. If you can find her and bring her in, that would alleviate my guilt over this matter. You see, it was a church agent who mistreated her. A trick by a crafty devil revealed her gift for all to see and, in their ignorance, they labeled the ability heretical since it could be used to heal devils as easily as humans. I feel a sense of duty towards her, not just as a member of the flock, but because it was our agents who wronged her."

Michael nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"Good! Now, enough serious talk!" Gabriel demanded. "Tell me, how have you been? Have you finally committed to this world, or are you still in college?"

It was at that moment that the food arrived and, as soon as the staff were gone again, Michael began to tell his aunt about his life since he'd last seen her.


Sitting in front of Trevi fountain as the sun set, Michael sighed as he stretched. Something brushed at his senses, growing closer. It was a feeling of light, much like Gabriel, which had followed him since shortly after they had parted company. He didn't sense any danger from it, merely curiosity and a bit of anxiety.

Those feelings changed, however, as Michael felt his wife's power wash over the square they were in. It panicked, flaring briefly, before falling back to the level it had been at before and radiating almost… resignation. He felt as Runeas approached the other mana source and they stood there for several minutes, presumably having a conversation. And then, both approached.

"Husband!" Runeas called and Michael turned, seeing his wife standing beside an unfamiliar, younger-looking woman, and the source of the light that had been following him. She wore her bright blonde hair up in twin tails held in place by a black bow, which matched her frilly, black and white dress and white stockings in the 'loli-goth' style. Bright blue eyes looked annoyed as Runeas squeezed the girl into her side, eventually shifting up to meet Michael's green.

"Wife," he greeted Runeas, turning a smile on the blonde. "Who's your friend? And how'd the search go?"

"Uehehe~! Well, the police actually tracked her down, but by the time I got there she was gone. But look what I found as I was coming to meet you! This was stalking you, so I thought, if we can't bring a succubus home, a fallen angel will do just fine for now instead!" Runeas pushed the other woman forward, resting her hands on the shorter woman's shoulders. "Go on, introduce yourself!"

The blonde sighed, then grabbed her skirts and curtsied. "Mittelt. It's… a pleasure to meet you."

Michael groaned softly, before offering his hand and a smile. "Michael Gremory. Sorry if she scared you."

"Hey~!" Runeas protested. "I'm not scary!"

Mittelt took the offered hand and, for a brief moment, an actual smile worked its way onto her lips as she regarded him like she wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. "Anyway. Runeas, if she doesn't want to come, she doesn't have to."

"She has to," Runeas countered.

"I want to," Mittelt answered at the same time.

"I'll explain at home! Let's go, husband! Plaything!"

Michael sighed as he fell into step with Runeas, Mittelt between them. "Really, really sorry about her. She's kind of… hard to argue with."

"No shit," the other blonde snorted. "Well, it's better than the alternative."

Michael had to wonder what 'the alternative' was, but kept quiet until they could get to an alley and Runeas teleported them home.