Gathered enough chapters over at QQ so time to start cross-posting here and on ao3 before i gather something like 10+ chapters...

As for the sorta si, this is based on what little I remember from the halcyon days when this lich still had flesh and was starting to think that maybe girls did not, in fact, have cooties. Suffice to say that was an age of the world ago.

More importantly.

A2 best girl! Sass and ass beats only ass!


It was a good thing A2's hair was already white.

"I can help!"

Watching her charge, her human perk up, forget his usual shyness and unwillingness to stray far from her side, slip his small fingers from her own and start forward.

Towards those 'devils', well, A2 did not have a 'blood pressure', not in the same way humans did.

But her reactor flux growing agitated and the hum of the coils within her was an excellent equivalent.

The sensation remained as unwelcome as it did the last time she dared to care for someone and her eidetic memory made certain she would never forget that failed mountain mission and—

No.

Unlike before she couldn't, wouldn't fail.

"W-what?" the redhead, designation 'Rias' asked, startled.

The hushed whispers around the ruined battlefield and the collapsed structures designated 'school' coming to a stop as Rias' and the other mutant leader's groups both turned towards her, or rather towards the youth.

Towards A2's everything while Rias' eyes already started to shine with a familiar emptiness, not really seeing the child.

For her part, A2 let out a forcible exhale.

She did not need to breathe.

Her mouth remained close, the urge ingrained over years to let loose biting caustic words held at bay.

It might make the boy sad and could also make an already tense situation worse.

Speaking of which.

"Miss Issei, I can help her!"

At the same time Rias offered her human a sad smile, A2, against every programmed instinctual urge, carefully relaxed her grip on her blade.

The immediate danger had passed after all, much as she wished they didn't involve themselves in the mess between the mutants in the first place but, he wished otherwise and despite the risk, she couldn't find it in herself to crush the boy's innocence and smile.

She didn't need to, she exhaled once more anyway.

Thankfully she proved strong enough and the mutants willing and useful allies.

"Oh, Yuha-kun," Rias said with a sad smile, her lips wobbling. "I don't think there's anything anyone can do at this point. But, I appreciate—"

"Miss Rias is wrong!" he said with a pout and a cute little stomp, coming to a stop near the woman and the fallen dragon mutant. "I can, b-but…"

Hearing the conviction in his words, A2 joined them with a few quick steps, kneeling behind and embracing the child protectively with one arm.

"Wait, you mean." Making Rias eyes fly wide and a desperate burst of hope dared to radiate from deep within the redhead's eyes. If nothing else the mutant had good instincts and had come to realize A2 would never dare risk anything happening to her human. "He really can…"

"Yes," she said, eyes narrowed as the redhead stared at Yuha with wonder, the boy starting to squirm some, lowering his gaze with a blush.

Something which made A2's nostrils flare for some reason.

"But, it'll come at a great cost."

"Please, I'll do anything—"

"And," she ignored the redhead and raised her humming blade, causing everyone to tense as A2 moved its tip in a semi-circle aimed at everyone's heart. "If any of you start getting ideas"

"You'll do what, exactly, woman?" The white-haired brat asked with crossed arms.

A2 smiled, and she was thankful her human was still squirming and avoiding Rias gaze for her smile was not a nice one. "I heard dragon scales make excellent materials."

It was the truth too!

Her weapon could do with an upgrade or three in the future as tonight showed.

For while the 'cadre' did not prove too problematic, propensity for flight aside, somehow she suspected he wasn't the strongest thing around.

The teen, designation Vali bristled and his energy started humming as he uncrossed his arms and A2 directed her core flux in the appropriate patterns, ready to attack the moment the mutant decided to break this fragile alliance.

Normally, as she'd been before, facing off against a dragon amalgam would've have been a risk.

But now.

Breathing, her smile widened as lines of vibrant blue rushed down the sides of her arms and legs while but a few meters from Rias and next to the absurdly proportioned Akeno, not that A2 was envious or anything, the recently infected blonde girl gasped, staring at her with wide eyes and even Vali seemed surprised even if he recovered quickly.

"Eh? Big sis?" Her human's confused voice and upward tilt made her wince.

Of course he'd feel it, this stemmed from him after all.

"Please!" Rias said, her cry making her and Vali pause both. "If you truly can, help Issei, help my family and you have my word as the Gremory heiress that my, our debt will be honored and no harm come to you. Please! Anything you need…"

From a few feet to Rias' left, the Sitri girl sniffed as if offended, fixing her glasses with one arm and making them somehow glint in the night.

"Seconded, the Sitri have our pride of course we wouldn't take advantage," the girl said, almost seeming to—

No.

Yes.

The little brat is looking down on her.

Her!

All it would take would be a quick twitch and a push to send her sword, butt first flying, and wiping the little mutant's haughty expression…

But no.

She can't.

She'd make Yuha cry.

And speaking off. A2 sighed.

"Very well."

"You mean…"

"Yay! Thank you Big sis!" feeling her human whirl about and hug her did not make her smile nor did she feel her cheeks burn, clearly a malfunction of her sensors that would need to be looked at later.

"Let's see if you'll be thanking me in a few moments brat," she grunted, feeling the child shudder.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Rias asked, starting to fill with a slow tension. "It's the cost you spoke of isn't it?" she asked, her lips stretching into a thin line.

"Yes," she grunted, her every instinct hating this but she wasn't a wet behind the ears Yorha unit anymore to be shackled by mere instincts.

"Then, I promise you, whatever it is, on my pride as a Gremory you'll both be—"

"Yuha, your arm," she said, not interested in hearing more of the girl's incessant yapping.

"Y-yes, sis…" he said, turning around with a shudder.

"Wait, what are you going to—"

Swiftly, and before either of them could spend too long thinking about it, A2 put to use every bit of knowledge she'd learned both before and after finding herself here, over-clocked her body, her core's flux growing wild as time slowed to her senses, almost wild enough in fact to activate 'Berserk Mode' but not quite for the slight loss of motor control would be counterproductive in this instance, and raised her arm and blade both and—

"Ouchie!"

Utilizing her anatomy files and intimate knowledge of her human's body both made the tiniest of nicks on his pinky.

Immediately having to fight the urge to apologize, hug the boy close, take the finger into her mouth and let the nanobots rush to mend the wound while this sinner also added what healing magic she'd learned during her stay and experimentation here.

Instead, as she fought back every instinct and under the bewildered gaze of the mutants, with a wince and a sniffle, Yuha lowered his finger to the fallen dragoness lips just a single drop of precious blood formed, dropped and vanished into the cold girl's mouth.

"Rise, my Quincy!" he said with a chirp as he withdrew the finger that'd already stopped bleeding as A2 the sinner had intended, the cut precise enough and taking into account the boy's enhanced biology to allow for but a single priceless drop to escape.

At the proclamation, Yuha swayed some, her hand immediately there to steady him while power pulsed from both him and the dead girl.

The dead girl whose eyes flew open with a gasp, blue lines glowing momentarily up and down her body.

And this time, everyone seemed to squirm and wince in place, almost as if expecting her human's power to hurt them.

"Oh thank you Lord. Owie!" the blonde girl cried, rubbing her temple while nearby, the blond swordsman also stared with wide eyes.

"It didn't hurt…"

Of course, the mutants are cretins why is she not surprised.

"Eh? I'm alive? I mean, of course I'm alive! Eh? Butchou why are you, eek!"

"ISSEI!"

She ignored the surprised dragon and the redhead hugging the stuffing out of her.

The background heuristics were enough for the rest of the approaching members of both groups approaching with surprise but relief all the same.

The weapon materials remained at a safe distance.

Unfortunately.

But, out of everyone, A2's gaze remained fixed on one person.

She clutched Yuha closer to her.

"Eh? Big Sis? What's wrong, do you need a hug?"

Yes, she would never say no to a hug but that was not important right now.

"Fufufu~ Our little hero is once again full of surprises, is he not?"

A2 glared at Akeno, or rather a certain part of her.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Ara? Merely to thank you both, of course, after all without Yuha-chan here today would, well…" the girl shook her head before smiling. "So, what say, you, Yuha-chan, want to let Nee-san hug you? I've been told my hugs are the best."

Yes, and A2 had a suspicion why.

"Yes—"

"No."

"Eh? Big sis?"

"We are leaving, Yuha."

"Ow…ok," the disappointment in his voice filled her with pain but she would be an even bigger sinner if they stayed and this inefficient mutant corrupted her charge.

Besides, her rear was superior!

Yuha's fingers once again safely between her own, with each step away from the mess and ignoring Rias' shouts to come back and then the promise to thank them later, A2 felt her core flux stabilize and some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed.

Hopefully this would be the last time the group of mutants dragged the two of them in their messes and nothing much would come out of the perverted dragon woman's resurrection.

"Big sis, can we have pizza tonight?"

Another change compared to before, courtesy of her human's gift.

She could eat.

Even if she still did not care much for it.

"No," she said, consulting the reports of the diagnostics. "You need more nutrients and fiber for your macros today."

"Oh come on, pleeeease?" he asked with a pout.

She would not give in.

She would wold strong!

She—

He sniffed.

"M-maybe a slice or two…"

"Yay! Thank you big sis, you are the best!" he said, grabbing her in a hug, one of his hands sneakily rising to fondle her rear and A2's core shuddered with excitement as she grinned and enjoyed the sensation.

Take that you absurd mutant!

Yes, everything will be okay.


A mess.

Tonight was a mess.

Little else could describe it.

A cadre deciding to go rogue, the near dead and sans a limb or two in his grasp matter of fact was just the start.

The fact the idiot decided to attack the sisters of those two monsters, and renowned siscons both was another.

Hey, Vali might be a battle-maniac but even he could not deny he'd feel a certain wariness if forced to tangle with those two monsters.

He'd win of course.

"You wouldn't."

He ignored the pulsing crystal in his armor, the dragon was clearly going senile.

Still, that mess alone was bad enough.

The memory of the white-haired automata but more importantly the child made him shudder and push more power through his wings' exhaust propelling him faster through the night sky.

Why did his father, not that he'd ever call the smug bastard that, his ego was already big enough.

Why did Azazel have to be right about this?

Well, if nothing else there was a silver lining.

Raising his free arm until the gleaming gauntlet was but an inch from his lips and with a pulse of though, he activated the recently installed module, courtesy of said adopted father.

"Vali, how did it go?"

"You were right, the idiot did betray us," he said, shaking the unconscious man making him groan in pain.

"Ah, I was afraid of that," Azazel said with a sigh. "And that other 'matter'? I take it I was wrong then?" he said the grin of relief audible.

Vali, despite how big of a mess this promised to turn into, also grinned.

"No."

"Oh well, it happens to the best of us and—Come again?"

Beyond the excitement courtesy of the battles to come, the fact that he more than likely just made Azazel turn a few shades paler, wiping that near constant smug grin of his lips?

Priceless.

"I said no," he grunted, not needing to glance at the readings again, courtesy of the device temporarily installed in his other gauntlet. "The readings were clear, the boy is what you feared."

"I concur with the boy, I wouldn't forget that scent. Even somewhat changed it is his," said the senile dragon.

"…Fuck me."

The groan sounded like music to Vali's ears.


Within the realm of heaven, across the clouds and between the gleaming white-gold spires, in the centre of the most radiant spire, atop a chair that would turn a mortal to ash, tired eyes that hadn't felt hope for eons opened.

This time he was certain, it could not be a fluke.

"Brother?" he muttered.

Still, the surprise lingered.

Heaven, despite what the greater masses of heathen and other pantheons alike believed, did not come the victor in the great war.

Oh no doubt they brought low all of the unworthy and the unclean.

Securing a future and more importantly, time for humanity to prosper and grow strong enough to be able to take their destiny in their own hands.

But in order to do so they'd lost something far more precious.

Father, son, and spirit.

In crude tactical terms as the little siblings would put it and one of the ways which allowed Michael to be able to so much as thing about those days.

The future and heart of Heaven both were spent to win battles, crucial battles mind, but in the end just battles.

To win yesterday's war Heaven, in truth, lost all future wars.

And in the recent centuries? In his heart of hearts even if he'd never dare give voice to such thoughts, lest despair sap the remaining strength from his brothers and sisters.

Michael had started to fear that the time they'd bought was not in fact enough to make certain the little siblings grew strong enough to chart the course of their fate and rebuff the claws and siren calls of the heathen near and far.

Not that he planned to give up.

Nay, as long as breath remained in his breast he'd do and give everything for Heaven and humanity both.

But now?

This?

"Brother?" another voice mirrored his own earlier words and turning to his radiant sister he smiled.

A tired smile and yet a happy, hopeful smile nonetheless.

"Is it…" Gabriel, so different now than the indomitable woman of old, seemed to hesitate. Not daring to give voice to words lest the cruel fates snatch them and turn their hope to ash.

"Yes, sister," he said with a tired nod, the weight of millennia seeming to grow lighter despite it all. "There's no mistaking it this time, I was looking closely."

Gabriel gasped and vibrated in place, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear as pure Light shone from every inch of her in a manner which hadn't for centuries.

"Perhaps the influence and the taint from the unclean might have confused your sight?" Ramiel, ever the skeptic, ever the cautious said.

Not because he didn't wish with all his heart for this miracle to be true.

Nay, far from it.

But because he, like all the archangels, and all the children of the faith both would not bear to have hope, true hope and have it snatched from them again.

"You dare?!" Gabriel hissed, eyes flashing to the tune of the old melodies of war as she turned fingers clenching and unclencing, it seemed that while Heaven's Justice had grown rusty in her flutework it wouldn't be long till she regained her 'voice' now that she had a goal, a purpose again.

Ramiel winced, taking a step back as his wings fluttered in surprise.

"Peace, sister, peace," Michael said with a raised palm, tired smile still on his lips. "Our brother raises a fair concern and does so out of love, you know that."

"I…Of course, my apologies!" she said with a blush offering a small bow and making Ramiel's wings flutter again.

"All is forgiven…"

In Father's time, a gathering of the Host would've been a noble thing.

With all the reverence and pomp it deserved.

Although, Father did confide in him near the end and before…t-that he intended for things to change although what He meant by that he still wasn't sure.

Nonetheless, Michael wasn't Him.

And thus, a few more wings and feathers shook amidst the gathered arch-angels, depressingly few as their numbers were, and those angels that'd earned the privilege and duty to attend.

Some few even let out tiny chuckles.

No matter, no matter.

It would seem that just as Gabriel's inherent nature and her desire to solve problems with her mace had not changed over the centuries, neither had Ramiel's quiet ways.

"But to answer your question, sister, brother, and siblings one and all," Michael said, looking from face to much loved face. "While tis true that I am not as strong a steward as Father, nor as good as one you all deserve, our fallen siblings influence was not enough to cloud my sight nor confound the throne from which it stems."

For unlike Father the gift of Foresight had not been weaved into Michael's making.

"Nevertheless it remains a possibility that I too feared, so I checked and checked again, making sure not to act in haste for none of us is Father. And today, I can no longer deny it, nor let my fear dictate our actions for time grows short."

"What do you mean, brother?" Gabriel asked with a tilt.

"Circumstances are dire, or rather, could soon become so. To answer the most important question, yes. The Son, while his hue is somewhat different is returned to us and like before, perhaps due to fate's love for irony, our brother is once again a child."

Michael knew not how this miracle occurred, nor did he begrudge his sibling his change.

No doubt the return through the wells of time and the river of souls, or the fact that his half-sibling still had a soul at soul given that Michael was pretty certain He, like Father had expended his all to stop…

No matter, the important thing being Heaven, and the little siblings might have hope again.

The noble decorum shattered in an instant as light shone from all of the gathered host as they whispered, turned to one another, with excitement from those more energetic and dread from those more naturally anxious.

And as the Lord of Hosts, unfitting as he felt of the 'crown' upon his metaphysical brow, Michael had to be ever calm and collected, regardless of the own worry gnawing at his own heart that time was off the essence.

"Peace, my siblings, peace," he said, raising a palm and spreading quiet or at least the illusion of it amongst those gathered. "Let me assuage your fears, no, unlike before, we will not let our brother face this trial alone. Until his memories and strength return." If they ever did. "Heaven shall ever be by his side."

And speaking off.

"Gabriel."

"Y-yes?"

Who better than the Judgment of Heaven to protect and make contact with their brother.

"Would you be willing to go to our brother and be his shield?"

Besides, doing so would likely ensure Gabriel's fingers remembered her own strength given such a noble purpose.

A shining gigantic mace of solid light formed in her hand. "YES!"

And Michael smiled in relief, daring to believe for just a moment that.

Yes, everything will be okay.