Chapter XIII

As it turned out, trying a new power in the heat of the moment had been a bit of an oopsie. Even more so when apparently his new power was to yell loud enough that the gym would be needing all of its windows replaced and Issei had to carry the occult research club back to their building.

"I'm really, really sorry about this."

Because apparently he'd yelled loud enough at them that they couldn't move after.

He really, really hoped they weren't mad at him. Not that they could tell, most of them still couldn't speak.

"Senpai, I got the cushions!"

Fortunately, Issei's apprentice and all around best kouhai hadn't been at the building and so wasn't flashbanged by his shiny new power. The crossdresser was more than happy to help him carry the others back to the building after Issei reassured him that, no, they weren't hurt.

Or so he hoped.

The little girl, Koneko, was giving him a look that promised painful retribution for this.

He could already tell.

"It… okay… just… numb."

Laying the blond haired pretty boy against one of the seats, Issei felt particularly bad for him. The swordsman had been right in front of him when [Screech Wail] went off and practically was immobile, while the Two Great Ladies managed to limp back with some help from Gasper, who'd been carrying Koneko!

Apparently she was more sensitive to loud noises than the rest, but hey, that was magic powers for you.

"Well, um, I, it was fun? I had a good time? Sorry for the trouble?"

By now they were back in the ORC's clubroom, the place thankfully undamaged, and it wasn't all bad.

Issei busied himself with a pot of tea, Rias and Akeno slumped against one another on a couch, while Koneko had curled up between them. It was adorable, and the Campione felt a little better when the red haired Devil - and wasn't that a surprise - gave him a small smile. But with the water boiling, he searched the kitchenette's cabinets for tea leaves.

"Thank… you."

Kiba, forcing himself to rally, sat up in a lounge chair. The leather crinkling as he half fell over, the knight pushed himself to sit back up, only for Issei to rush over in turn.

"No, no, no. Stay seated! I'll get something to eat, too. Ah, if that's ok?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Rias interjected before her teammate could refuse and the highschooler was all too happy to let Gasper fret over his comrades; already carrying a small pillow over, the blonde Bishop was all too happy to pull a stool over to his senpai and prop his feet up.

Little was said after that.

Two pots of tea were set out, a tray of sandwiches he'd put together with the mostly European ingredients the Devils seemed to prefer, and a radio piping out soft, low French woman's voice to the plucked strings of a cello finished the rest and recovery set up.

And, soon enough, Issei made his exit. Only stopping when the crimson haired Queen of Kuoh tried to assure him, one last time, that everything would be ok.

"Will you guys really be okay? Shouldn't I stay?"

The redhead shook her head stiffly.

"No, we will… be alright. It was only a shock and it should wear off soon. Besides… I don't think you will want to be here when I call the school about having to clean up all that broken glass."

Issei winced.

Yeah, he figured the school would probably make him clean it up himself if they found out.

"A-Ah… will I need to reimburse you guys?"

Could he ask Smith if he got paid as far as the god slayer business went?

"No, no, with magic it's only a matter of a few minutes. But it's better if there's no one here, the school will be closing soon." And indeed, Issei could see the sun cresting over the horizon, the sky now looking a beautiful shade of orange as it slowly sunk past the tree line.

He was gonna be late if he didn't leave soon.

"Well… I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"F-Feel free to visit, senpai! We'll be happy to have you!" Gasper perked up, running back from the kitchen with a warm pack of water, which he placed on top of Koneko's head, who still looked absolutely miserable.

Yeah, he'd avoid coming by… if only until the middle schooler wouldn't kill him. But maybe he could make an exception for Gasper?

"Sure thing! I'll see about swinging by when I can. You guys still owe me a bunch of explanations!"

And he'd be holding them to their end of the deal!

"Yes, and my word is my bond. Now, run along before it gets too late. Wouldn't want to be caught out in the dark alone, yes?"

Because apparently there were really things going bump on the night.

"Ah… are vampires real?"

She gave him an unimpressed look.

"Ok, see you later!"

Bowing, he turned to leave, only to be stopped when Gasper ran over and hugged Issei around his waist.

"Thank you, again, for saving me. Even if I'm not a girl."

"Hah." Issei smiled, lightly hugging the younger boy back. "I would have saved you either way, buddy. And I'm glad I could."

Really, who didn't want to be a hero?

But it really was getting late and Issei left, feeling quite a bit better about how things ended. Akeno even fixed his clothes with a spell! So things were definitely not ending on a horrible note. Plus, there was the simple fact that, well, the teenager had really, really enjoyed the fight!

'When people aren't trying to rip your head off, working up a sweat is actually pretty fun. Who knew?'

Though the teenager wasn't so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the tall, dark shadow, looming just behind the ray of light cast by a flickering, dull streetlight.

"Wait, no way, why are you wearing sunglasses at night, Agent Smith? Doesn't that just make it harder to see?"

Can of coffee in hand, the woman simply smiled indulgently at him.

"And who says they're normal sunglasses?"

"Wait, magic sunglasses are real? How does that even work!?"

"They are just normal shades, kiddo. Have you ever seen a secret agent who doesn't use these at all times?" Chuckling, the government agent took a sip from her can.

They did make her look cryptic, yeah.

"Wait, don't tell me you're here to arrest me? I promise I didn't mean to do it." There was no way the school had already told on him to the government? He didn't want to get a black mark on his resume over this! At least let him peep first before that!

Fortunately Smith looked as confused as he'd been panicked.

"Have you done something you need to be arrested for?"

Quickly, engage teenage bullshit deflectors!

"Umm… no? It was most definitely not intentional. And if something did happen, I wasn't there. Um… ok?"

She gave him a look that said how much she didn't believe that before shrugging with another sip of her coffee.

"Well if you didn't, that's that. Still, let me drive you home then… just to make sure you don't get into anymore… ah… incidents." Gesturing to a nondescript black car parked at the end of the street, the secret agent slinked towards the unremarkable Toyota just a little ways off, looking over her shoulder and to the sides.

"Ah… should I be worried about something?"

Smith smiled thinly.

"Nothing you should be worried about. But you know how this secret agent gig is, you never know when someone might be following you… or trying to jump you with a sword."

Well, she was right about that.

He'd already gotten jumped by a guy with a sword today.

But unless there was some kind of God of the Sidewalks waiting just around the block to ambush him, Issei wasn't feeling particularly afraid. He'd actually got a good bit of exercise done and his head was bursting at the seams with new, cool ideas on how to use his powers.

'I really need to apologize to them properly, later.'

Because as it turned out, he wanted to do that again. Without the whole 'knocking them out' thing.

Next time he'd win without amping himself up with a chant!

"Well, you sure look chipper. Met any cute girls today?" Taking her place in the driver's seat, the agent motioned for Issei to get in, coy smile firmly in place as he fought down a light blush.

Seriously, secret agents were scary.

Still, he fastened his seatbelt and the car turned on with a low rumble. The agent didn't say anything, but turned the radio on and indicated Issei could change it to whatever he liked. They even had heated seats and a small fridge in the backseats!

Which was predictably full of coffee.

"So, um, is there any reason you're picking me up?"

Coming to a stop at a red light, the grown woman looked at him in a way he'd never been looked at before. It was like she was unsure, like she was a little confused, and maybe a touch afraid. And it was only after the light turned green - and they were beeped at - that she spoke.

"Well, let's answer that question with another one. Did you know I have a daughter just about your age?"

Confused and a little surprised, Issei shook his head as the car once more began driving.

"No…? I don't think you ever mentioned that. Is everything okay with her?"

"No." She replied immediately, only to backtrack at Issei's panicked face. "Well, yes, she is fine. I just thought I would warn you just in case someone looking like me starts to stalk you."

"S-Stalk me?!"

"Not in the pleasant way you're thinking, either. I'm afraid to say things have gotten quite a bit out of control at the office." Smith nodded gravely.

He blushed and nodded this time, coughing and shifting in his seat.

"Am I really that important?"

A wave of her hand.

"All Campione are. Getting close to and monitoring them is a very important matter. Which is why they assigned me to you. Amakasu would have done the same if you were into salarymen."

Issei couldn't help it. He made a face.

"And that's why we didn't send him, though he would like to meet you."

"I guess that's cool?"

"He's an honest to gods ninja."

"Really!?" Sitting up, turning to face the secret agent, the teenager couldn't help himself. "Like, he's a shinobi or is he just a spy or what?"

"He's the current heir to something like a six hundred year old line of shinobi and samurai who can trace their tutelage back to Hattori Hanzo."

His mouth fell open.

"Still, can you guess why I'm telling you all this?"

Distracted, confused, unsure, but feeling this was some sort of test, it took an effort of will to focus on everything he'd just been told.

"You have a daughter. And she is coming… because of me?"

There was no response, one wasn't needed, and he continued to put his thoughts in order.

"Because you were supposed to… well…"

"Get close to you, yes. But since you turned out to be a nice kid, that wasn't required." Smith finished the sentence, much to his embarassment. Really, how was he supposed to react to the fact the government sent a secret agent to make nice with him.

Like, he was flattered as hell, but that didn't mean he would take any freebies on the road to harem king!

"And your partner is a ninja and wants to meet me."

He needed another three lights to put the pieces together, one ear half listening to the American rock song lowly growling in the background.

"Something happened. Your daughter is being sent to… take up your job. And your partner wants to make sure I won't hurt his daughter?"

That got an actual bark of laughter.

"Amakasu isn't the father - I would have been way smarter if he had been. No, he wants to meet you because of the first point. But well done."

"You want to make sure I don't hurt her?"

There was another pause, a shorter one, but it was a little sad.

"What mother wouldn't do the same? But it's not simple. She is… difficult."

"Please, take your time, Ms. Smith."

"Thank you. No, I'm frustrated, not with you, but still. And yes, I ask that you treat her kindly. She can be a little headstrong and that's something she inherited from me."

Both chuckled a little at that and there was a tension between them. Not a terrible one, but it was there. He knew she didn't trust him, couldn't really, at least not with her own child. But Smith was extending him an olive branch. Giving him a heads up and letting him do with that what he will.

So he decided to extend an olive branch back.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell me about the fact that I'm going to a school with a bunch of Devils."

There was a pause.

Then the car veered off wildly as the agent spit out the coffee she'd been sipping, spraying it everywhere as the vehicle swung side to side and nearly into a light post only to barely avoid it.

Coughing and sputtering, the agent turned to him with glasses tilted in shock.

"You WHAT?!"

An Island in the Pacific Ocean

The sea was a comforting sight.

The ebb and flow of the tides. The roaring of the waves as they crashed and swallowed the sands, erasing the scant trail of footprints she'd left on her way through the beach. The smell of salt and the soft cawing of seagulls in the distance would be familiar no matter what shore she visited.

Athena loved it.

She also hated it.

The sea was her enemy. Her rival.

The great god who scorned and tested her over the course of the ages and tempted the mortals she'd taken for her own. Shamelessly presenting useless gifts as if to dazzle them.

At one point, the sea had also been her friend.

Her parent.

For while she was Athena, she was also Tritogeneia, the foster daughter of a sea god. Though the connection had waned with time and her legends turned her against the sea, there was comfort in knowing that no matter how the world changed, and how many tales of her were spun, part of her would always remain here.

Just as part of her now resided across the vast ocean, on another shore.

"So Pandora has bequeathed the [War Trumpet] onto him. A worthy power for a newfangled warrior, I do suppose."

Athena had been unsure whether his power would grow from the conflict with the other gorgons.

They were by nature lesser splintered fragments of her own legend, but somehow had found the will power to maintain themselves and follow their path to the one who'd claimed Medusa's life.

As well as her love.

'Perhaps their's too. It is the nature of sisters to seek to be together, in life and now in death. I do not begrudge them this, though it means my final conflict with him will be more difficult.'

"Is that anticipation I sense in your thoughts, little one?"

From the treeline, the one she'd been tracking emerged. Much more mature, with eyes of carved amethyst and a figure in the fullness of womanhood, the new arrival wore a white dress in a style reminiscent of the ancient empire, a knowing smirk etched on pale marble-like skin.

"Only about the battle to come."

The older woman smiled indulgently. There was no need to mince words with this one, more strategist than warrior.

Eliminating her wouldn't pose a challenge.

"I see, Pallas. You were always quick to draw your weapon. Immature, in your own way."

"And you were so haughty you forgot where you came from, Minerva."

There was a flash of light and the goddess appeared next to her, now lounging on a chair, her previous clothes abandoned.

Sisters, perhaps, were now only a few yards apart from one another.

Stretching as she lounged, and now in a mortal bikini, she radiated a quiet arrogance. Even laying like this, unprotected and unguarded, she was proud, the body of a woman, and a goddess, in the full bloom of her beauty. Perhaps about thirty or so, she seemed haughty, proud, with skin a pale shade slowly turning to copper as the sun caressed her.

She was, in every way, the opposite of the younger.

Pallas Athena was petite, slim, in some ways even childlike, at least compared to her older self. She wore the same school uniform she'd appeared to the slayer of her other-other self in and lacked both the presence and the… fullness possessed by the Roman.

"Perhaps. But I learned from my arrogance and made peace with my vows. And my sins. Even if the mortals were always happy to change us and render our life ever more dramatic."

"Perhaps. They are foolish. That is why they need us."

"Many years ago, maybe. Only some of them would even care to listen to the words of their betters anymore. And the ones that would, would be even more treacherous than the most vicious of our kin. After all, that is why we are here and not, say, relishing the battlefields of Libya."

"That is Ares's land. Mine was further to the East."

"But not this far east."

"Aye." Pallas conceded. "Not this far."

There was silence between the goddesses of war as they ruminated, in their own ways, on the nature of mankind and its love of warmaking. For if they did not love it - them - why would they engage in it so eagerly?

"Will we have our battle here?"

Her older self turned over again, sighing, and almost pouting.

Their shared nature as aspects would allow nothing else. As cavalier as they acted now, both of them likely sensed the same gnawing emptiness within them where the other pieces should be. They were all 'Athena', yet had been splintered into fragments of the original goddess.

Seeking out the others and putting together the scattered pieces of the puzzle wasn't only pragmatic, but a matter of survival.

"I was hoping to finally break that vow of ours. But if we must slay one another, then the survivor ought to at least go and visit Mother."

"Metis has formed?"

Metis, the first wife of Zeus.

The Queen of Heaven.

"Yes. I've spoken with Nike and she said she would go and give herself up. Victory, it seems, carried our Aegis and offered it to Wisdom."

"I see. Then there are only three, us and Mother, left."

A smirk from Minerva.

"And our lover."

Athena met her gaze with a dispassionate glare.

"You sense it too, then. The Demon King."

"How could I not? He took part of us… and then you tied part of our power to him."

Pallas frowned.

"I did not do it as some tawdry thing."

Leaning forwards, practically letting her chest spill from her increasingly straining clothes, the other goddess laughed.

"No, no, it's all for some great advantage! It lets you track him and mark him and even, mayhap, allow you an advantage in battle. After all, it was a wound closed by your thread, so to open it up again… would be child's play." Rising to a sitting position, Minerva snapped her fingers again, banishing the beach chair and appearing clothed once again. "Perhaps, though, I ought to go see him. Show him what we can really do as a woman. Then I'll have to end him, of course. It was foolish of you to surrender the [Snake] when you had the chance to claim it."

She frowned at the dishonorable counsel.

"It would have been improper."

"And that is why you will lose here today." Minerva declared with vexing surety.

There was no more talk.

Pallas conjured up her familiars, a great owl screeching from above and a hundred lashing threads of silk, both lunging into being from nothing, even as she herself drew her bow and the sea churned at her back.

A dozen arrows flew and Minerva laughed, danced, and struck out with a sword, from the woman's back sprouted the wings of a raven, carrying her far and away from the Spider's threads even and as the treeline seemingly rustled and warped , a massive form rising from the beach line at the older goddess' call.

A massive olive tree loomed in the distance as goddesses did battle.

The spatha's great, slashing blade deflected each shot with ease and eagerness, even as her free hand conjured a trident, which was used to gather the webbing unleashed upon her and fend off the owl at the same time.

And now there was only blood.

Both knew each other intimately, both knew each other truly. And their attacks had no surprise or disassembly, such would be useless against one's self, and the two beings of Faith and Fear clashed again and again. Any mortals nearby had long since been evacuated and their blows ripped apart the beach of this island.

Great divots and craters, a raging sea that had been stirred to a thunderstorm - Poseidon and Triton alike raging as the two dueled - and they continued to attack.

Suddenly, in the midst of a clash, where Pallas held back her sister's trident only with the barest hint of strength, her bow sorely abused and groaning as it stopped the mortal weapon, was surprised when Minerva stepped closer, into range that she might be stabbed with an arrow.

But even as she reached for a weapon with which to deal a fatal blow, the older of the two spoke.

"Promise me. Whoever wins, goes back for the boy. We cannot allow Mother to have the [Snake], no matter what."

Athena… no… Pallas nodded with grim determination.

No matter the outcome, the two of them were in agreement.

The Queen of Heaven must be stopped.

Hyoudou Household

Of all challenges Issei faced today… this was the most difficult.

From sparring with what was a literal club of devils, to chatting with a secret agent about stuff that mostly flew over his head, perhaps the biggest and most complicated ordeal the Campione found himself being put through was the fact he actually had to explain things to his parents.

"So you were fighting… the devil?" His father blinked owlishly.

"Less of a fight and more of a friendly spar in exchange for answering some of my questions!"

"So there is more than one devil?" Mom turned to the bemused Agent Smith, who was busy massaging her temples and nursing a cup of coffee.

"Yes, an entire civilization worth of them. Don't think too much about it, they barely interact with our neck of the woods unless it's for business or tourism. Not since the last war at least."

"T-There was a war?!"

Issei jumped in before his father could fall down that rabbit hole.

"So after I kinda maybe accidentally knocked them out I helped them get back to their clubroom and looked after them for a bit with Gasper, who's a really good guy by the way, and left because it seemed like I went a bit overboard with my new power."

"New power? What new power?" This time it was his mom who latched onto what he was saying, and not exactly the part he wanted either.

Fortunately Smith was there to cover for him, because Issei was a terrible liar.

"It is normal for magic users to learn different forms as they grow and improve. Issei is quite talented or might have an affinity for the craft, given we haven't even started looking for a proper tutor."

Fortunately she was on the ball with an excuse ready because Issei was for sure getting grounded if his parents knew he was getting his 'powers' from fighting and killing gods.

"And it only happened because I was trying to find out more information after… we… talked about… stuff… yesterday!"

Neither of his parents looked particularly impressed, both of them in their work clothes as Issei's small family gathered at the kitchen table.

Agent Smith, with a fresh cup of tea and some leftovers from dinner, was dabbing at the coffee stain on her shirt as she happily received the hospitality of a home cooked meal. The Hyoudou's had turned their TV on, graciously thanked the woman for looking after their son, and then immediately fed her - parental instincts kicking in immediately.

There was no Kyoto speak here tonight, not one bit while Issei was being stared down by his parents.

"So." His father began. "You didn't call home so you could stay out late and get into fights…"

The Campione winced.

Yeah, he was still in trouble.

"I always knew you were gonna be a handful, it runs in the family… but to think you were a delinquent." His mother shook her head. "Next thing we know you'll be dying your hair blonde and bringing strange girls around."

"Mom… Dad! Agent Smith?"

Issei was floundering and more than a little embarrassed! It was one thing to get scolded, but to hear the two of them plot his descent into criminality in front of a pretty lady cop was too much!

The agent suddenly sneezed, loudly, and nearly smacked her head against the coffee table she'd been sitting at, the sound so loud all three jumped a little when the noise came from their living room.

Then a second time.

Then a third, and this time she did manage to thump her forehead against the armrest of the with a groan of utter misery.

"Woah there, are you okay?"

Biting back a curse, the agent looked around as she pocketed her shades.

"It's just an allergy. I didn't know you guys had a cat."

Issei looked around, confused.

"We don't… though."

Only they kinda did now, it seems, because just out of the corner of his eyes Issei managed to catch a glimpse of a small black cat as it rounded the hallway with a lazy meow, tail swinging side to side.

"Since when do we have a cat?"

That was news to him!

"Oh, she's not ours. Some of the neighbors left for a trip, so they asked me to keep an eye on Yoru-chan until they get back. She's really well behaved but likes to come and go. I'm so sorry I forgot to let you two know."

Agent Smith, for her part, sneezed loudly, again.

Issei nodded in acceptance. "It's ok."

But he didn't know what else he could say. Mostly he felt guilty.

His father sighed and stood up.

"Listen, son, your mother and I aren't actually upset. I'd say we've been taking this pretty well all this considered." Walking over, his old man placed a single hand on the teenager's shoulder. "But the truth is… you didn't even call. We both… panicked a little. And if we hadn't called Agent Smith we wouldn't have even known you were still at school. That's not good for you old man's heart, you know?"

Lowering his head, the teenager felt that shame intensify, turning into a caustic roil in his gut.

"But that doesn't mean we aren't proud of you. You are a hero." His mom said, her smile sudden and a little watery. "As much as that thought is scary, we understand this."

"And we're proud of you."

Gorou, his father, squeezed Issei's shoulder and he nodded.

"And we love you, even if you do end up a delinquent, ok?"

Miki, Mom, stood up and walked over, both of his parents bending down to hug him tight.

That proved a little too much in the end. But Smith was more than polite, discretely slipping out so the three could have their moment. A moment that ended with the teenager feeling a little conflicted. But, promising he was just seeing their guest out, he finally managed to extricate himself from their attention.

Surprisingly, he found the agent outside, a cigarette between her lips.

"Hey, kid." Her eyes crinkled. "Sorry about this." She waved the smoke away. "The job can actually get pretty stressful. Thought I'd quit back when I was pregnant." A chuckle. "Maybe I can just say it was to keep the dander away."

Not really knowing how to respond, Issei simply nodded. Somewhat surprised when he saw Yoru, the cat, sitting on their front porch.

Walking over, he knelt down and held his fingers out for the feline to smell, the little creature needing a good twenty seconds before deciding that it would deign to grace him with a sniff or two, before gently bumping his hand with his head.

"It's ok. No one's perfect, right?"

It occurred to him that the two of them were having family issues today. Whether it was Issei worrying his parents, or Smith's daughter worrying her… it felt strange to see it happening from the other side.

Things were changing and getting complicated again, but he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of excitement bubble up from his gut.

Everything was just so new and fun.

There was danger but… Issei couldn't help but wonder what would be happening next.

He had to check something first though.

"Uhh… is your daughter the shoot first and ask questions later type?"

The agent snorted, letting out a small plume of smoke into the chill breeze.

"She doesn't ask questions and if you asked me, it would probably be a sword, not a gun. Good luck with that."

Dammit.

Could he go a single day without a cute girl trying to kill him? Was that too much to ask for?