Beware My Power Chapter 17: Monster

As Elros landed near the forest site, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. There was a deep and low rumbling in the trees as if something heavy was moving and crunching along or burrowing.

"Power check," Elros asked his ring.

"Power at 79.8%," his ring answered. Elros nodded and set up a stronger barrier; the rings usual one just wouldn't do, he thought. Slowly, he edged forward into the forest - making sure that he was watching his every step. Whatever the monster was, it wasn't to be trifled with. Suddenly, as soon as the noise had begun - it stopped, shrouding the land in an eerie silence.

The moon was overhead, casting a bright enough glow over the land. He saw flying lights within the forest - nothing unusual in this case; fireflies. He heard the chirps of crickets roaming the ground, mixed in with the intermittent hoots of an owl perched on high, watching Elros's movement with wise eyes. Elros crouched a bit lower as he moved, spreading his weight so he'd make as little noise as possible.

'Come out, come out, wherever you are,' he thought to himself as he kept looking for his prey. It wasn't long after that the noise had begun again, although this time it was proceeded by another, hair-raising sound.

A loud and snarling growl tore through the quiet night and reverberated throughout the forest, silencing all other manner of creatures. Elros was thankful this area was secluded, otherwise, some pool fool would investigate; no, he was the only fool here, Elros thought - trying to take on something that made that kind of sound all by himself.

"Can you figure out where that came from?" he asked his ring. It glowed a short green, but remained silent - knowing better than to yap unnecessarily in a time like this. It was a few minutes before it replied again.

'800 meters ahead. 790, 780, 760…,' the ring said, suddenly counting down. Elros's eyes narrowed - whatever it was had placed him. He began going in the direction his ring instructed, holding it ahead of him to make sure that he wasn't caught off guard. He admonished himself for using the ring at a moment like this - in the cool dark, he was a glaringly obvious target emanating a soft green.

The meters counted down until Elros suddenly stopped in front of a particularly dense thicket of trees. He got on one knee and looked ahead, wondering what might appear.

'Distance: 75 meters,' the ring told him; neither was now moving.

'It's smart,' Elros thought, eyes narrowed. He wondered how such a large creature could still remain unnoticed, how it could step so lithely when it was so tall and weighed so much - it should've been knocking down trees all the way towards him, making a ruckus with its lumbering proportions.

'Intangibility?' Elros thought to himself. If that was the case, he'd be in some trouble. But that was the worst case scenario. Depending on its origin, there could be a mult.i.tude of things; it could be a shape shifter or weight changer, it could simply be controlled by another, it could have properties that allowed it to change its proportions or one of ten other things.

Getting up from his position, Elros slowly inched forward with his ring trained on the same spot in the thicket of trees. One of them would have to end this dance soon, and it would be better for him to get the first hit. Making his decision, Elros shot out several power strings of energy bursts. It had part of the intended effect; it drew out the monster.

Elros's eyes widened in shock as he saw it burst through the thicket, crunching and shredding through the trees that separated them. His ring had gotten some things wrong; the creature wasn't bipedal, although if it were it certainly would be in the order of 12 feet tall at the very least. Made of solid muscle, it had four long and thick legs that jutted out and down in a 90-degree angle, making it's gait almost that of a spider. It had ma.s.sive antlers that erupted from its head that angled out every which way, all ending in extremely sharp points that could impale anything. It had a ma.s.sive mouth, its blood red gums bared at Elros. He saw several sharp teeth, including four extremely sharp and long incisors that could be seen when its closed its mouth. The beast had tufts of black hair growing out of several parts, with a large black mane around its neck. Its ears were long and jutted out from the sides, but there was one feature on its face that was more striking than the rest: it had three eyes. Two were on either side of the head, as would be normal; but abnormally, there was a single yellow eye that was placed in the middle of its forehead.

As it rampaged towards Elros, he was barely able to get out of the way before being skewered.

"What the h.e.l.l is that?" he asked, flabbergasted. Amongst all the aliens he had seen, he had never seen anything remotely like this thing on Earth.

"Unknown species. Indexing," his ring said as it began to autonomously research the beast. It turned to face Elros again, letting our a bloodcurdling shriek. Elros had to cover his ears in pain; that was the moment the beast needed as it smacked him back with a furiously fast and large paw. Elros was sent careening back. only barely getting his footing in flight. He looked down to see the damage - only a scratch, he thought thankfully - before turning back to the thing, staring it down. Its three eyes were focused on Elros as it snarled at him.

Elros moved to attack. Bringing up a large fist with his ring, he brought it down on the beast with a crushing blow. It had little effect, to his surprise; in fact, the beast seemed to take the attack head on as it reared itself and smashed into the fist with its antlers. Elros saw the imprint on the ground as it sank a couple of inches, but it soon shook it off and was circling him again.

"What the f.u.c.k?" Elros asked aloud to the air, extremely glad he didn't bring the others along. The beast charged him again, but Elros quickly dodged, still focusing on its attacks.

"a.n.a.lyze attack patterns and look for weaknesses. This thing is no joke," Elros said seriously to his ring. Riser and his peerage were cake; Vali was a bit more interesting, but still nothing too out there; but this thing was, in all sense of the word, a monster. He flew overhead and closer to the monster, which snapped its jaws at him. As it opened its jaws again, Elros suddenly sent a blast of energy to it. As it exploded within the creature, it howled in pain and reared away from Elros before turning to face him, bloodl.u.s.t in its eyes.

"Alright, that did something," Elros thought aloud - the creatures exterior was powerful, but inside it could be damaged. But if this was how the battle was to go, it would be a slow crawl indeed.

The monster leaped towards him with astonishing speed and fury. Elros quickly put up an extra powerful barrier that the creature connected with, buffeting him back several meters. He saw cracks emerge in the barrier - whatever this thing was had an immense will, he thought, otherwise, it wouldn't be able to do such damage. He expanded the barrier and ran towards the creature, buffeting it back a few feet before it dug its rear legs into the ground and pushed back. Elros and the fiend were soon locked in a test of power, neither willing to relent to the other - for how would it turn out? Each second was marked by a shifting position, either a few inches or feet in one direction or the other. Suddenly, Elros shattered the barrier in the face of the creature with a blinding light. The creature roared as it charged forward in a blinding pain, Elros narrowly avoiding the attack. He quickly sent out a ball and chain at one of the hind legs, latching it on and increasing the weight of the ball. The creature stumbled and roared in pain; Elros saw the leg dislocate. Surprisingly, however, the creature quickly popped it back into place with a disconcerting sound as it turned to look at Elros, it's eyes slightly closed as it dealt with the blinding effects.

'It's got an extremely strong will as well. Hot d.a.m.n,' Elros thought. His gaze kept going back to the third eye - what was its purpose? It seemed to see well enough with the other two, so why was a third required? He thought it best to end the fight before he learned the answer.

Elros quickly uprooted several oak trees with his powers and began circling them around the creature, which crouched in defense as it observed the effect. It was lithe on its legs despite its immense size and weight - able to dodge the trees that were launched at it with a surprising ease. It hopped from side to side, twisting and turning here and there until one tree finally connected. The oak crunched and crushed it slammed into the antlers of the beast. It roared in pain as the tree got stuck, attempting to pull its antlers out.

Elros heard a horrifying sound - that of bone breaking and crunching as the creature finally tore itself loose - leaving one side of the antlers stuck in the tree. Elros saw a small volcano of blood erupt as he saw the nerves being pulled from the head, exposing part of the inside - the brain visible. He looked at the end of the antlers in shock, the nerves endings hanging and swaying in the wind as black blood softly trickled down. As he looked back at the creature, he saw that the exposed wound was now covered in the same leathery skin the thing had - covering the brain, which could've led to an easy kill at this point.

'Good thing Asia and Gasper aren't here; they would've puked at that. f.u.c.king h.e.l.l, this thing is a monster in the truest sense of the word,' Elros thought.

Both Elros and the creature gave the other no quarter, each trading punishing blows with the other. The monster crouched low to attack Elros, which he swiftly dodged - his barrier would simply be broken and the pair of antlers that remained would impale him surely. On the other hand, every attack that Elros tried was met with substantial resistance - the weight and stance of the creature gave it a tank-like defense.

Elros suddenly saw something strange as he went into for another attack, going for the eyes in an attempt to blind it. The third eye that the creature had suddenly began to glow a vivid yellow and orange, swirling here and there. Almost immediately, Elros began to feel the effects. He felt his attack weaken - the hand he constructed soon simply vanished into nothingness as his attack was futile. Time began to slow and he was still heading towards the creature which observed him with a snarl.

'f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k! MOVE!' Elros roared to himself but his body refused to obey. He saw that the edges of his eyes became darker and darker as he got closer to the creature. Then he felt it - the antlers. His eyes widened in shock as he felt his barrier be pierced by a powerful headb.u.t.t as the entire left side of his body was pierced in multiple points; the shoulder, above the armpit, his left pectoral, right near the heart, a side of his ribs, and part of his abdomen - all pierced in a monstrous and punishing attack. He let out a pained cough as blood erupted from his mouth as well as the pierced points; the creature looked at him with hatred. Suddenly it reared its head and twisted it mightily, throwing Elros across the field like a rag doll until he hit an oak tree. Elros wheezed louder as he tried to get up, but he fell to his knees - the pain was tremendous.

"Ring! Damage!?" he asked as he groaned in pain, unable to speak at length.

"Danger: multiple contusions and trauma suffered. Recommended course of action is to flee," the ring said.

"Can't. Pain," Elros said as he struggled to get up again before falling down. The world continued to darken around him as he let out pained gasps of breath, his hands trying to cover whatever was stabbed. It was no use as the blood continued to pour out of him, front and back. The beast snarled at him as it slowly inched forward; was it enjoying his pain? Trying to draw the end out before it tore him to shred and ate him? Would he have his chest torn open and his organs consumed, like the two from before?

Before he took another gasp, he saw something else. The creature howled and roared as a sudden blast of thunder and red demonic energy connected with it. The shriek could be heard for miles around, Elros thought - it was so loud. It turned to face whoever came, but it soon reared and began to run away - this fight would conclude later. The last thing Elros heard before he pa.s.sed out from the pain was two loud cries, calling his name.

-o-

Elros woke with a start, gasping for air and in a tremendous amount of pain. He looked around to see where he was - back home, it seemed. He saw the sun was high in the sky already - he had been asleep for some time, it appeared. Looking at the clock, it was close to 2:00pm.

"You're awake!" Rias cried out as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close to her. He looked to see that she was covered in blood - his blood, it appeared. He felt another pair of arms wrap around him soon after - Akeno's. As was the case with Rias, she was covered in blood as well.

"Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. What… happened?" Elros asked as he hugged them back. Looking down at his own body, he saw that he was bandaged to the point of mummification. He saw several large, dark and red blotches where the monster had pierced him. Touching them gingerly, he grunted in pain - while mostly healed, they were still extremely sore and p.r.o.ne to opening if he wasn't careful.

"You were nearly killed!" Rias said angrily.

"You should've woken us up! Not left a stupid note!" Akeno said, her voice shrill. Elros covered his ringing ears in pain but got no sympathy from the two.

"That was… my bad, I guess. I thought I could take care of it," Elros said.

"It nearly killed you! Do you have any idea how scared we were?!" Rias asked.

"I'm sorry," Elros said with a sigh.

"Not accepted!" they said in unison as they stood up.

"The thing… did you get it?" Elros asked.

"No. It ran off before we could kill it. Plus, we were too worried about you," Rias scolded him. Elros sighed and nodded; he should've known that was the case. A moment of foolishness by him and he let it get away as well as nearly killed himself.

"Asia was able to patch you up, thankfully. She said if it would've been any longer, you could've died. That's three times already you've nearly died! IN A MONTH!" Akeno shouted.

"It's-," he began before Rias cut him off.

"Don't say its part of the job! You could've woken us up! You could've asked anyone for help!" Rias yelled.

"I still think it's best I didn't. That thing was… powerful," Elros said with a gulp. Seething, Rias and Akeno both turned and left the room, leaving Elros with his thoughts.

-o-

"I can't believe him!" Rias shouted as they were in the kitchen downstairs, still angry.

"I know. He should've told us. Who knows what would've happened if I didn't wake up!" Akeno agreed as she angrily prepared some tea.

"And he thinks sorry is going to make it better!" Rias said. Akeno paused as her head hung in anger, tears forming and falling.

"If he had died…," she began. Rias went over and embraced her friends, knowing what she was thinking.

"I know…," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes as well. They had only met Elros for the first time a month or so ago; and already he was nearly killed on arrival, burned by Riser, and now almost died because of his bravado. It seemed as though Death was constantly knocking on his door, planning new ways to slip inside and claim him. She and Akeno had fallen for him in short order - and if he was to be taken away so callously, so quickly? Rias wasn't sure that she would be able to handle it.

"Why didn't he ask us? Does he think we're weak?" Akeno wondered.

"No, I don't think so. He knows we can handle ourselves. I think… seeing the condition those two were in got to him, though," Rias said.

"But he should know that we're capable! We wouldn't be caught off guard like that!" Akeno said.

"I agree… but… I don't know. If that thing nearly killed him, how would it have really turned out for us?" Rias wondered. They held each other in silence, mulling that over - before they heard a thud from above. Looking at each other, they rushed upstairs to find Elros on the ground, breathing heavily.

"What're you doing?!" Rias yelled as she helped him up, walking him to the bed.

"I was… just trying to walk," Elros replied weakly.

"You're still injured. You need rest," Akeno said.

"Can't. That thing is out there. Need… to find," Elros said, faltering as he fell on the bed.

"That can wait. Issei, Kiba, and Xenovia are looking for it now," Akeno said.

"WHAT?!" Elros roared, surprising them.

"What?" they asked in shock.

"Call them back! NOW!" Elros instructed Rias.

"Why?!" she retorted angrily.

"That thing isn't just some normal creature that they can cut through. It's last attack - when it got me - it used this… eye that it had on its forehead. It was like hypnosis. Call them back, Rias. If they find it - and you guys aren't there to help fight it off - they're dead," Elros said as he drew himself up, supressing the pain.

"Hypnosis?" Rias asked.

"Yes. Call them back. Hurry," Elros pleaded. Rias paused before nodding; she ran off to find them, calling them ahead. She was surprised - and afraid - with the reaction Elros had shown; the first time she saw his exterior break.

Elros fell back on the bed as soon as Rias left, grunting in pain as he felt the cushiony and fluffy sheets and pillows. Akeno clambered a bit closer to him, gently caressing his cheek.

"Is it really that powerful?" she asked quietly.

"My attacks had almost no effect on it. It's got an immense will," he answered.

"How can you tell how much willpower it has?" Akeno asked, confused.

"My constructs… it could shatter them almost effortlessly. I dislocated its leg and it just popped it back into place. Ripped its antlers out… and after it overcame the pain, it started again. That thing is going to fight until death. It won't give up," Elros said with a gulp.

"Does it have any weak spots?" Akeno asked.

"It's mouth for one. Before that, we need to pierce its eyes though I think. Otherwise, the hypnosis will get us and then we're f.u.c.ked," Elros said.

"Us? We're not letting you out until you're better!" Akeno said.

"Akeno, th-," Elros began before she pushed him down on the bed, positioning herself over him.

"No. No Akeno this or that. You're resting up - that's all you're going to do. We'll make a plan before we go look for it, but you will NOT be going. I don't want to hear it!" Akeno said.

"I can't just sit on the sidelines. What if you guys get hurt?" Elros asked.

"YOU GOT HURT!" she yelled at him. Elros sighed; he had no answer for that. Suddenly, she leaned forward and rested her head against his, biting her lip. Gently, she leaned a bit forward and kissed him, tasting her salty tears as they fell into the kiss.

"We were so worried…," she said, her voice breaking. Elros nodded and put his arms around her, holding her close. She broke down and began crying into his chest, wetting the bandages considerably.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" Elros asked.

"Why is it… then when I love someone… they always get taken away from me?" Akeno asked. She pounded lightly on his chest, wondering what answer he would give. Elros felt a pang in his heart - this went deeper for Akeno than he thought originally. He scolded himself for being so stupid.

"Shhh, shhh. I promise no one is going to take me away, Akeno. I promise, alright? I'm gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine," Elros whispered as he gently rocked her, although there was no stopping the tears it seemed. She tightened her hold on him as she lifted her face, looking him in the eyes. Elros felt a certain sense of dread go through him; seeing her red, puffy eyes; her face streamed with tears; hearing her shuddering breath and knowing he was the cause. He brought her back down to him, holding her tightly and trying to convey that he was sorry - that he would not let her go and that she would not lose him.

"I'm sorry, Akeno. Please, forgive me. I… didn't know this would be so hard on you. I'm sorry," he said as he kissed her atop her head.

"Please don't leave me," Akeno cried to him.

"I won't. Ever," Elros replied. He felt her nod into his chest before she got up again, wiping away the tears. She ran a finger across his bandaged wounds before caressing his cheek, bringing him in for another kiss that he returned with a burning pa.s.sion. Resting her head against his, she inhaled his scent; still heady, even though it was mixed with the smell of salt and his blood.

"I'll make some tea for you," she whispered, taking her leave and leaving him alone with his thoughts.

As she left, Elros punched the bed in a fury.

'f.u.c.kING IDIOT! YOU f.u.c.kING DUMBa.s.s! HOW THE f.u.c.k COULD YOU LET YOURSELF BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD LIKE THAT?!' he roared to himself inside his head.

'RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF WAR WORLD, HOW COULD I LET MYSELF GET MY a.s.s HANDED TO ME! f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k!' he continued. It took all the willpower he had not to through the bed through the window, his anger at himself palpable as he tore at his hair. Finally, he stopped, resting his hands on the cold window and breathing deeply and heavily.

'I've gotten lazy. I need to start training again. Maybe Clark or Barry wouldn't mind helping out,' he thought to himself. The past month had been fun - exceedingly so. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like a normal student - or at least as close to normal he could be. But he had begun to enjoy himself too much. As much as he wanted that life, it was always going to be out of reach. The best he could do was to make it work to some extent; but he couldn't forget that he was Lantern first, a Devil second, and a person third. He sat down on the bed, looking at the ceiling and preparing a regiment for himself; he needed to keep in his prime and it was obvious to him now that he needed to strengthen his mind as well.

-o-

"Did they find it?" Akeno asked fearfully as Rias re-entered the house, rubbing her face in distress.

"No. No trace of it either. Whatever it was seemed to have just… vanished," Rias said as she took a seat on a barstool near the island.

"How the h.e.l.l does something like that vanish?" Akeno asked in disbelief.

"I wish I knew. I'm a.s.suming it's being controlled by someone or something. It didn't exactly seem… intelligent… when we scared it off," Rias said.

"Not intelligent, but extremely dangerous. Riser barely touched Elros and Vali just poked him. But this thing nearly killed him," Akeno said.

"I know. We need to start training again - soon. If we're so unprepared for something like this…" Rias said, shaking her head.

"I know. Plus, it's not long before we head to the Underworld. We need to be ready by then," Akeno agreed.

"How is he?" Rias asked, shifting gears.

"Physically? He'll be fine, according to Asia. Mentally… I think he's angry at himself. For losing. Do you think we're being too hard on him?" Akeno asked as she looked upstairs.

"Absolutely not. He needs to know that we're here to help him! If he needs us, he just has to ask! He's strong… super strong… but he can't handle everything on his own!" Rias said. Akeno nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to go shower. Could you take this to him?" Akeno asked as she handed Rias the tea.

"Sure," Rias said, taking it in her hands and going upstairs. She saw Elros sitting on the bed in a slump, staring at the window. She almost dropped the gla.s.s as she felt his power radiate - seething off of him in anger. Finally noting her presence, he reined it back in and looked at her.

"Hey. Is everyone ok?" he asked, trying to get up.

"Stay down," Rias ordered. Pausing for a bit, he nodded and agreed.

"Sorry," he said shortly.

"Everyone is fine. The thing… just vanished. I honestly have no basis of what it could possibly be. It's a monster, that's for sure - but I've never seen anything like it. All we know is that it's strong," Rias said as she handed him the cup, sitting next to him.

"Everyones safe. That's… all that matters," Elros said, taking a sip. The liquid seemed to have a reinvigorating effect as he felt it spread throughout his body, warming it up.

"Do you think we're weak?" Rias asked suddenly.

"What?" Elros asked surprised by the question.

"Do you think we're weak? Is that why you didn't ask us for help?" Rias asked uncertainly.

"No, that's not it at all. I was going to… but then I remembered what those two looked like. If that happened to you guys…," Elros said, his voice suddenly faltering. Rias looked at him and saw the horror of what might've been playing across his eyes; she thought he was going to tear up for a moment.

"You can't protect us all the time, you know. We're going to get hurt here and there," Rias said softly.

"d.a.m.n it if I won't try, though," Elros said.

"I know. I love that about you. But you're one of us - you're mine. You have to let us protect you. You're not a one-man army," Rias said as she took the cup from his hands and put it down. She held his face in her hands, her head resting against his as she breathed in his scent. Elros had no reply to that.

"You and I just… became an us. And if something happened to you… do you know what that would've done to me? Did you think about that?" Rias asked, her voice trembling. Elros gulped and scolded himself even further; it was definitely a mistake to go after the monster, he thought.

"I'm sorry, Rias. I know. I'm sorry," he whispered as he held her tight against him. Rias wrapped her arms around his neck as she lightly cried on his shoulder.

"I love you… and I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. I promise you won't lose me. I'm sorry. It was… a mistake to go by myself," he said as he laid down, her on top of him. Rias picked herself up and kissed him as Akeno had done earlier, her tears mixing into it. Elros returned it with a pa.s.sion, intent on making it up to them somehow.

"Next time it shows itself we're taking it on together, ok?" Rias ordered.

"I understand," Elros sighed, nodding. With an exhale of relief, she laid back down on top of him. Elros began rubbing her back gently, running his hand through her hair here and there as they got comfortable in each other's arms. She ran her hands across his torso, sighing deeply at the damage he had taken. It was extensive, she knew - he had come close to death yet again. She adjusted herself and moved up a bit, looking at him as she caressed his cheek. It wasn't to long ago that it was so horribly burned by Riser's cowardly attacked and blood was pouring from his mouth - again, he came so close to an end.

Her eyes widened as she remembered the blood. How was that even possible? He was flung back with a significant force, sure - what he should've been able to survive that. He had taken worse damage during the fight, and he still stood strong. But then, why was he bleeding so heavily after that attack from Riser?

"I have a question," she began.

"Mmm," he responded.

"After Riser attacked you, you were burned really bad. But you were bleeding - a lot - from your mouth. It was coming out like a waterfall. Why? You were fine throughout the match, but that attack seemed to really do some damage," Rias said. Elros sighed; he should've expected she'd ask sooner or later.

"Do you remember the attack I used to finish Ravel and Riser off?" Elros asked.

"Yeah. You were surrounded by this energy," Rias said.

"Yeah, that one. It's something that I invented not too long ago for situations like that - where if I can't beat the person physically, I can concentrate on overcoming their willpower. The problem with the attack is that… right now, it's still not perfect," Elros said.

"What does that mean?" Rias asked fearfully.

"After I use it, I have to rein the energy back in or it goes wild - and I have to concentrate it when I'm using it so it stays focused on the target. Reining it back in does some recoil damage. It doesn't last too long - for a couple of days, at most - but depending on how much energy I exert and rein in, the damage and recovery could be higher or lower," Elros said.

"You're kidding," Rias said weakly, tears coming to ahead again.

"I wish. It's getting better, though. When I first used it, I couldn't move for a week. With some more training, I should be able to use it without any damage at all," Elros said encouragingly. Suddenly, Rias tightened her hold on him.

"You hurt yourself for me?" she asked through her tears.

"I'd do anything for you," Elros whispered. The dams broke as she began sobbing in full force into his shoulder. That he was willing to suffer that much pain for her made her feel both terrible and wonderful. That there was something willing to destroy himself for her gave her a sense of shock and a sense of peace.

"Even hurt yourself?" she asked weakly.

"I would. For you. For Akeno. I… love you, Rias. Of course, I would," Elros told her.

"Is that why you weren't able to move fast enough?" she asked.

"That was only part of it. I didn't expect Riser to come after me," Elros said.

"Please don't do that again. Please. I don't want you hurt on my behalf," Rias cried.

"I'm afraid I can't agree to that. You don't have to worry, though, Rias. I promise I'll get good enough at it to use it without damage. And I was happy to do it if it meant you'd be able to avoid marrying that a.s.shole," Elros said. Lifting her head up, she resting it against his. He felt her hot tears splash down on his face as she leaned in to kiss him again.

"Are you still feeling it? From that attack?" she asked.

"No. I was better by the time we came back, just a bit sore. I was 100% when the Khaos Brigade attacked. She nodded before smiling.

"I love you," she said as she pulled her hair to one side, tilting her head as leaned her head down, an inch from his lips.

"I love you, too," he said, closing the distance with a pa.s.sion. Rias leaned into the kiss as she slowly began gyrating on him, intent on giving him the taste he wanted. It would've continued had Akeno not barged in on them.

"Don't forget I sleep there as well," she grumbled as she walked over to the bed and got in.

"You forgot your clothes," Rias said dully.

"I didn't forget," Akeno replied as she kissed Elros on the cheek. Rias sighed but smiled as she got undressed, getting into bed as well. They began running their hands along his torso in unison, sighing as they felt the scars. Going back to his face, they saw the other one.

"What?" Elros asked as he saw them looking at him intently.

"How'd you get this scar?" Rias asked as she traced it vertically along his face. He frowned as she asked, looking ahead into the ceiling with an unusually contemplative look.

"Got it a few years ago when I got into a fight with another Lantern Corps. leader," Elros said, thinking on it.

"Another Green one, you mean?" Akeno asked.

"Nope. Red Lantern. Rage," Elros said.

"What happened?" Rias asked.

"Let's see… I was doing a flyby, thinking about something. I ended up flying too close to their homeworld for their liking - a planet called Ysmault. So their leader comes up to me, demanding why I was there. I try to leave, telling him it was an accident, but he's a pretty angry alien. So we fight. He gave me this," Elros said as he traced the scar, "after he spat on one of his claws and scratched me. His blood is corrosive and flammable, which is why it left the scar," Elros said.

"Corrosive? Flammable?" Rias asked as she shot up, Akeno with her as they leaned in a bit closer to look at the scar.

"Yup. He's an angry individual," Elros said with a sad smile.

"Why?" Akeno asked as she laid down again.

"Why what?" Elros asked.

"Why is he so angry?" she expanded.

"He lost everyone," Elros said.

"Everyone?" Rias asked.

"Everyone," was all Elros said.

'Maybe now he can find some peace, though,' Elros thought.

"And the one on your back?" Rias wondered. She regretted asking as she felt the air around them change. It seemed to thicken and grow colder, sending a shiver down their spines as they turned to Elros. He gulped and licked his lips, thinking of how to answer.

"I'm feeling a bit beat. I'll tell you that one later, yeah?" he asked.

"Sure. Sure. Just sleep now," Rias said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek, resting her lips there. She didn't want to push him. Elros soon dozed off, seeing bright colors as he closed his eyes; red blood flying, green will burning, a blue hope shining before it was all extinguished by a fearful yellow light that faded it all to black.

As they saw him fall asleep, Rias and Akeno looked at each other - worry in their eyes. There was something about that scar that cut deeper than it looked, and they knew not to press it with him yet. Nodding at each other, they rested their heads on either shoulder and soon fell asleep, caressing him still.

-o-

As Elros woke up, he saw that he was alone in bed. He heard Rias and Akeno conversing downstairs. He heard some of the topics they discussed over the course of the next several minutes; the attack he used to beat Riser and Ravel, how brave he was for doing such a thing, his fight with Vali and how unlike him it seemed; Rias commenting on their date, which made him smile - and Akeno's commenting on their future date, which made him smile a bit more at how excited she sounded. Gingerly, he walked down the stairs to meet them.

"Hey. Do you feel better?" Rias asked as she went over, putting an arm around him and leading him to the couch.

"Much better. I always knew that sleeping with beautiful women was the key to feeling young," he said.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd know," Rias sighed.

"So, what've you got planned for our date?" Akeno asked nonchalantly.

"You'll find out in a few days," he replied.

"Come onnnn, give me a hint," she whined.

"Nope," Elros replied.

"You gave Rias a hint, though! You told her to meet you in that hotel in Paris!" Akeno said.

"Yup," Elros nodded.

"Are we going to Paris?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied.

"California? New York? America in general?" she asked.

"Nope, nope, aaaaand, nope," he replied.

"Ugh. Asia? Africa? Australia?" she asked.

"No to all three," he responded.

"Europe?" she asked.

"Yup. That narrows it down a bit," he said with a wink.

"Barely. Come on, give me a hint," she whined.

"Starts with an S," he said with a chuckle.

"Sweden! Serbia! Slovakia! Slovenia! Spain!" Akeno responded excitedly.

"No to all of them," Elros said.

"Switzerland?" Akeno asked. That was her only remaining guess… or Scotland. San Marino?

"We have a winner," Elros said as he put his arm around her as she sat down.

"Oooh, what're we doing there?" she asked. Elros groaned and looked at Rias who was giggling.

"Surprises Akeno, surprises! I can't tell you everything before we even get there!" he whined.

"Fine. Are we going to fly there together?" she asked.

"Yup. After we do what you wanted, we'll head there. I've gotten a wonderful day planned for us," he said.

"Can't wait," she said as she snuggled closer to him.

Soon after she got comfortable, they heard the bell ring.

"I got it," Akeno said as she got up with a sigh. Opening it, she let the other members of the peerage in. Gasper and Koneko quickly rushed Elros, holding him tightly. Rias rested her head on her hand, smiling warmly at the sweet scene.

"Elros! We were so worried!" Gasper cried.

"Are you ok?" Koneko asked worriedly.

"Hey, you two. I'm fine, Koneko. I'm sorry for worrying you; and you, little buddy. But don't worry - I'm fine now," Elros said comfortingly.

"Is he just saying that?" Koneko asked Rias as she grabbed his hands and put it on her head.

"No. He seems healed enough now," Rias said.

"Thanks again, Asia. That's twice you've saved my life," Elros said as he smiled at the young girl who blushed in response.

"It's no problem at all," she a.s.sured him.

"In addition to what Rias and Akeno told us, is there anything you might be able to add? Xenovia asked as she sat down next to him as well, putting Gasper in his lap as the young vampire continued to hold on to him.

"Ring, reconstruct a.n.a.lysis," Elros said. In front of them, a green and life-sized image of the monster appeared. Asia looked on in fright while Issei and Kiba gulped; Xenovia's lips were parted as she looked at the monster, while Koneko, Rias, and Akeno narrowed their eyes. Gasper refused to look at it.

"What is it?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know myself. My ring couldn't index it," Elros said.

"That's a real monster," Issei said, slightly weak in the knees. The horrifying jaw was opening and closing while its third eye blinked.

"The thing you have to watch out for is the third eye. It has a hypnotizing effect," Elros gulped.

"So if we encounter it, that's where we should focus our attacks," Rias ordered them; they nodded in response.

"Were you able to damage it?" Kiba asked.

"It's going to be missing a set of antlers, but that's about it. The thing is built like a tank," Elros said.

"We'll get it done," Xenovia said confidently. The others nodded in agreement.

"Keep scanning," Elros ordered his ring which glowed in understanding before it settled.

"Anyways, why are you guys dressed like you're ready to go to school?" Elros asked as he leaned back.

"Because we are," Xenovia said obviously. Elros paused before he shot up, still holding on to Gasper.

"WHAT?!" he asked.

"What?" Xenovia asked.

"Wait! What time is it? What day is it?!" he asked in shock.

"It's 7am. The day after," Rias said with a giggle.

"Hey little buddy, I'll be back in just a minute. Gotta get ready," Elros said as he quickly flew upstairs. Ten minutes later, he headed back down, ready for cla.s.s.

"That was quick," Rias laughed as Koneko and Gasper ran over to him.

"Would've been quicker if you guys had told me that earlier. Christ - gah! - d.a.m.n it, Michael! Been losing track of time. Wait, then what day is it?!" he asked.

"Thursday. Dates Sat.u.r.day," Akeno winked.

"Alright. Good. Alright, shall we?" he asked as he headed out the door. The others smiled at each other and followed.

"Elros, can I ride on your shoulders?" Gasper asked.

"Sure, buddy," Elros said as he picked the vampire up and placed him there. Gasper grinned wide as he rested his hands on Elros's head. Koneko had her arms around his waist as he petted her.

"That's the cutest thing ever," Akeno whispered to Rias.

"Definitely. So adorable," Rias cooed in response.

"He'd be such a wonderful father," Xenovia sighed, surprising the two.

"You like him, Xenovia?" Akeno asked, looking uncertainly at Rias.

"I… perhaps," Xenovia said, blushing as she saw how he interacted with the younger Devils.

"He definitely has a way with kids. Gasper, Koneko, another kid he met during the Celebration after he beat Riser," Rias whispered.

"What about you, Asia?" Akeno teased the blonde who blushed a deep red.

"Oh no! He's more like a brother than anything," she squealed in response as she looked at Issei with a longing in her eye. Rias and Akeno smiled at that; Asia and Issei were made for each other.

-o-

"Hey, Elros?" Gasper asked as they crossed the threshold to school.

"What's up, buddy?" Elros responded, smirking inwards as he heard the coo's and aww's from the female population, who were enthralled by how he interacted with the kids.

"Do you think you could take me into s.p.a.ce sometime?" Gasper asked.

"Hmmm… I don't see why not, kiddo. I don't know if I'll be able to take you too far, but we could go for an excursion around Earth sometimes, yeah?" Elros suggested.

"YEAH! I wanna see what it's like in s.p.a.ce!" Gasper said excitedly.

"Me too?" Koneko asked as she tugged on his shirt a bit.

"Sure," Elros said as he patted her again.

"We should get to cla.s.s," Rias said as she scooped Gasper in her arms and set him down. With a hug for Elros, he ran off to the ORC.

"Shall I escort you to cla.s.s, m'lady?" Elros asked Koneko, offering her his arm. She smiled and nodded, taking it and they walked over there while Xenovia, Kiba, Issei, and Asia headed to theirs.

After dropping Koneko off in her cla.s.s, Rias, Akeno, and Elros began to walk to theirs.

"What is it?" Elros asked, noticing the two slightly behind him and giggling.

"We just think it's adorable how you treat Koneko and Gasper," Akeno said with a smile.

"They deserve it," Elros said with a smile of his own.

"They seem to really love you," Rias said as she locked her arm with his, Akeno doing the same for the other.

"The feelings mutual," Elros said.

"Glad to hear it," she replied as they walked into cla.s.s and got settled for the day.

-o-

"Thank you, my Sona! My darling! My love!" Elros cried out for everyone to hear as they ran across Sona, Tsubaki, and her peerage. Sona turned a bright red as Elros declared that, making Rias and Akeno giggle. Saji, meanwhile, turned a pale white, and Tsubaki a deep red. The rest of her peerage was various colors; some red at hearing the declaration, others red because they were holding in their laughter.

"WHAT?!" some random guys yelled out as Elros said that.

"It's true, my dear. You helped me when Rias and Akeno abandoned me when I was in dire straits when hope was all but gone! You were there to pull me out of the deepest pit… and helped me complete my homework!" Elros yelled as he wrapped his arm around her, his fist in the sky as a mark of victory. The guys continued on their way, grumbling - was he really that excited over something that small?

"Don't be so dramatic," Rias sighed, smiling at his antics.

"Dramatic? Not at all! Like I said, Sona's my favorite now," Elros said as his slid down her back towards her waist.

"Please, refrain from teasing me this much at school, at least. A bit is all I ask," Sona said, turning a blood red as she felt her face begin to burn.

"My apologies, my d-," Elros began before he felt Tsubaki's hand over his mouth. He turned to her and winked, kissing the palm of her hand. She turned red as she felt it; while not exactly a kiss, it was still something. She left it there, however - which led him to peppering it with kisses before she finally removed it.

"You're worse than Akeno. Much worse," Tsubaki grumbled, before blushing as he put his other arm around her.

"Yeah, that's what I've been told," Elros said cheerfully.

"Anyway, how are you? Rias told us what happened," Sona said worriedly.

"I'm fine now. That thing is a monster, though. Don't approach it alone. I learned that the hard way," Elros grimaced. They nodded in response before her peerage left to attend to their various activities.

"Rias, I was hoping to speak to you about something. Got a minute?" Sona asked.

"Sure," Rias said.

"And I've got to go work a contract, so I'll see you later," Akeno said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and winking at Tsubaki.

"Well, that leaves you and me," Elros said as he pulled Tsubaki in a bit closer.

"I hope you don't intend to tease me into leaving as well," Tsubaki sighed.

"Perish the thought, Miss Shinra," Elros said as they walked.

"Oooh, please don't call me that!" she said, blushing madly

"Ha. Sorry. Anyways, how are you?" he asked.

"Well, thank you. Although it's something that I should be asking you. Rias said the damage was… bad," Tsubaki said, turning a bit pale.

"Not too bad, all things considered. It could've been worse if the antlers were just an inch off," Elros sighed.

"Nonetheless, you ought not to be so nonchalant about this," Tsubaki said as she turned to face him, a worried look in her eye as she ran a hand gently across his chest, feeling the outline of the scar. Elros smiled and pulled her in a for a hug. The movement surprised her a bit but she leaned into in, smiling after a moment as she put her arms around him.

"Your hair is beautiful. Much like your eyes," Elros whispered as he ran his hand through it. It seemed like all Devils he came across had gorgeous hair, Tsubaki, Rias, Yubelluna, and Akeno in particular.

"Thank you," Tsubaki said, feeling her face turn red as they continued walking, his arm still around her waist.

"Tell me about yourself, Tsubaki," Elros suddenly said.

"What?" she asked.

"I'd like to get to know you a bit better," he said with a smile.

"Why?" she wondered.

"Curiosity? Interest? Take your pick," he said.

"Mmm… there's not much to tell, really. I'm Sona's Queen," Tsubaki shrugged.

"What were you before that?" Elros asked.

"I… umm… I was born into the Shinra Clan," Tsubaki said, her voice small.

"The Shinra Clan?" Elros asked, wracking his mind for a mention of the name. Tsubaki sighed and nodded.

"My family has long been one of exorcists - they purified evil spirits. I was trained to become one as well but I… have a Sacred Gear," Tsubaki said, fearful of what she might say to Elros. Much like Sona, Rias, Akeno, and a few others, she had in short order developed a liking - dare she say loving - for him. However, her Sacred Gear drove her family away from her - would it be the same for him?

"I understand if you don't want to tell me - everyone is ent.i.tled to their secrets. However, know that I won't shun or reject you. I've seen a lot of weird s.h.i.t, to be honest. At this point, it's all cool to me," Elros said with a grin. Tsubaki smiled and nodded.

"My Sacred Gear is called Mirror Alice. It has a few properties - for example, if a mirror that I erect is destroyed, it reflects additional damage to the attacker - although hit does have a cool-down period. But before I was able to do that, another trait appeared. Often… demons would come out of the mirrors. When that started happening, my parents… my family at large… simply chose to shun me," she said sadly. As she finished, she felt Elros tighten his hold around her, drawing her in. She leaned in, resting a hand on his stomach as she felt him kiss her atop her head.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's their loss, though. That's f.u.c.king bada.s.s," Elros said.

"You're just saying that," Tsubaki said, smiling.

"Nope. Bada.s.s. I mean come on - demons. How could it not be?" Elros asked.

"Try telling that to exorcists. Demons are the bane of their existence," Tsubaki said.

"Should I ever come across them, I will, in fact, tell them that. You deserve better," Elros said as he stopped and turned her to face him, smiling gently at her. Tsubaki leaned forward and hugged him.

"So I didn't scare you off?" she asked quietly.

"Scare me off? Not even a bit. In fact, now I'm even more excited to see you in combat," Elros grinned.

"You certainly know how to make a girl feel better," she said as they continued walking.

"That's my power," Elros said cheerfully.

"So perhaps I could ask you a question now?" Tsubaki wondered.

"What would you like to know?" Elros asked.

"What're your feelings for… Sona?" Tsubaki asked.

"Is that really what you want to talk about?" Elros asked with a smile.

"I… don't know. You're not the easiest person to figure out," she sighed.

"I've often been told that I wear my heart on my sleeve," Elros said.

"Yes, but you wear so many sleeves I don't know which one it's pinned on," she said.

"Hmm… I like Sona, I think. She's beautiful, intelligent, kind and caring. Important qualities. As are you, however. Quite beautiful, just as intelligent, and kind and caring from how I've seen you interact with your peerage," Elros commended her.

"I love them quite a bit," Tsubaki said with a fond smile.

"I can tell. They look up to you. Much like the other students at the school. You, Sona, Akeno, and Rias - you're wonderful role models. It seems as though every girl here aspires to be like you someday," Elros said with a pleasant smile as he looked around.

"You're too kind," Tsubaki said, turning red at the praise and the thought of being looked up to in such a way.

"I'm being honest. It's not something to shy away from, though. I say accept it. And help them where you can," Elros said.

"And what about you? The women here seem to admire you quite a bit as well," she said.

"Ha. That's different, though. And look at the guys - f.u.c.king hate me. Speaking of which, wait a few seconds before you follow me out that door, alright?" Elros said.

"Why?" Tsubaki asked.

"You'll see," Elros said grimly. It was coming sooner or later, he thought - better face it now. He opened the door and closed his eyes, waiting for it. No sooner then he did that, he was sprayed with water. Some of the guys had set up a prank for him, as he could clearly see - the door being a f.u.c.king window for the most part. He saw them rope the bucket up to the roof, as well as the lookout in the distance making signs to the guy on the roof on when to drop it. All in good fun, Elros thought. Taking it like a champ, he heard them laugh at his expense.

"d.a.m.n. You guys got me," Elros said with a good-natured laugh. Sn.i.g.g.e.ring, they took their leave - some commenting that he wasn't as bad as they thought he was, others talking about him learning a lesson, while one or two commented on still teaching him a lesson.

"You're wet!" Tsubaki said as she saw him.

"Yeah. No biggie. A harmless prank," Elros chuckled as he shook some water loose.

"I'm going to go-," Tsubaki began, but Elros put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Relax, Tsubaki. It's no big deal," Elros said.

"But you don't deserve it!" Tsubaki said.

"It's just a bit of water and fun. I've pulled my share of pranks over the years. It's all good, trust me," he said calmingly. With a sigh, she nodded and they began walking again. It wasn't long before they were joined by Rias and Sona, both of whom looked surprised to see the wet Elros.

"What happened?" Rias asked.

"Prank," Tsubaki sighed.

"Who?" Sona asked eyes narrowed.

"Relax. It's water. No biggie," Elros said with a grin. They looked to Tsubaki who shrugged.

"Anyways - Tsubaki, let's go. I need to tell you something. Elros, if this continues…," Sona began; Elros nodded. Surprising Tsubaki, Sona walked up to Elros and took his face in her hands. Leaning up on her toes, she gave him a kiss on the cheek - blushing as she did so.

"Well… that's that. Let's go," she said to her Queen, who looked between Rias, who was smiling; Sona, who was blushing; and Elros, who was smiling as well; before she took her leave with her.

"That was adorable," Rias said as she leaned her head on Elros's chest.

"Now I know what you two talked about. Be serious: are you ok with this?" Elros asked seriously as he took her face in his hands, piercing her gaze with his. Rias smiled as she put her hands on his and nodded.

"I am. More than ok, especially if it makes you happy. Sona… Tsubaki… Akeno. I've known them all for so long, they're almost like sisters. I want them to be happy as well; they deserve it. And like me, I don't think they've ever spared a guy besides you a second, third, fourth, or more glances. As for me… you love me, right?" Rias asked.

"I do. Very much," Elros nodded.

"That's what makes me most happy," she said as she kissed him gently. Locking her hands with his, she began to lead him towards the ORC.

As they entered, Rias faced him. Elros grinned and quickly closed the distance, locking lips with her pa.s.sionately. Rias let out a m.u.f.fled moan as she felt his hands squeeze her from behind as he walked her to the desk, quickly sitting her on it. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in, working on undoing his belt as he began to kiss her neck, doing the same for her shirt. He almost had it off when she heard the door open.

"AWWWW COME ON! NOT HERE!" Issei yelled out as he walked in with Kiba and Asia, both of whom were red as they saw the event unfolding.

"f.u.c.k," Rias complained as she rested her head against his chest.

"I so would've," Elros grumbled back before looking at the three who quickly exited.

"We… need a more private place. First Akeno, now them," Rias said as she b.u.t.toned her shirt; the mood was ruined - again.

"I know. Next time, I'm encasing the building in a barrier. Don't care if the Apocalypse is nigh and they're clawing to get in or we get exposed; I'm giving you the time of your life," Elros said as he fastened his belt.

"That's next time," Rias said as she tried to get off the desk, but found him blocking her way.

"What?" she wondered, head tilted up. Smiling, he leaned in and kissed her pa.s.sionately. Rias moaned as she felt his tongue on hers, drawing him in as much as he would go. She felt him lay her down on the desk, kissing her neck before he finally lifted himself off a bit.

"What was that for?" she asked with a giggle.

"Wanted to, mostly," he said, giving her a peck before he helped her up.

"Fine with me," she said as she began to sit down. She had barely done so, however, when his ring suddenly shone green.

"What's up?" Elros asked it.

'Monster located. Same area,' it said. Elros looked at Rias with a serious expression. She nodded and quickly called everyone back to the peerage - taking Xenovia, Koneko, and Akeno off their contracts to deal with the problem.

"His ring found the monster. If it's the same one, we need to have a plan of attack. We know how dangerous it is," Rias said, to nods all around.

"What's the plan, then?" Issei asked.

"I was thinking… Gasper, how long do you think you could stop time?" Elros asked.

"Umm… I don't… know…," Gasper said worriedly. He had never used his attack in front of Elros and was worried - what if he didn't pull it off? What if Elros thought it was too scary? The thoughts ran through his head before he felt an arm around him.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Elros asked.

"I… don't want to let you down. And… I don't want to scare you away…" Gasper said quietly, tears forming in his eyes.

"You won't, little buddy. I promise. I'm gonna be here no matter what, alright? Besides, like I said - you have the strongest and coolest power here," Elros said encouragingly.

"How… long do you need?" Gasper asked.

"Akeno, how long do you need to shoot an attack at its middle eye?" Elros asked.

"A second, with my lightning," Akeno said.

"Think you could give us a couple of seconds?" Elros asked.

"Yeah. I can do that," Gasper nodded vigorously.

"That's all you need to do, buddy. You can even join Akeno if you want - still got the thing I gave you?" Elros asked.

"Yeah!" Gasper said as he pulled out the conical weapon. Like his N3DS, he always kept Elros's gift on him.

"Just aim that at its eye and push the b.u.t.ton, alright?" Elros said.

"Got it," Gasper nodded.

"Alright. What about after that? You said it's like a tank," Issei said.

"That's gonna be tough. It didn't seem to have any weakness, but I didn't try any elemental attacks - just brute force. Akeno, maybe you could cycle through some attacks? Hit it with water, fire, thunder, etc.?" Elros asked.

"Easy enough. Issei, you should try Ascalon as well. I know it's for dragons, but it might work on this thing," Akeno suggested. Issei nodded in response.

"Akeno can work with electric and water elemental attacks. I can cover the fire aspect," Kiba volunteered. Rias and Akeno nodded; Kiba was certainly one of the fastest there.

"Koneko and I can try to overpower it," Xenovia suggested, but Elros shot it down.

"That won't work on this thing. The best way to go about it is to find its weakness. I'm going to try to knock out its other set of antlers. Those things do some damage," Elros said as he unconsciously rubbed his chest.

"Should you really be out this soon, though?" Asia asked.

"I have to be," Elros said.

"Don't overexert yourself, though. You say you're fine, but I know better," Rias said. Elros sighed and nodded in agreement.

-o-

They were soon in the forest, hunting for the creature.

"This way," Koneko said, using her strong sense of smell to lead them to it.

"How can you tell?" Issei asked.

"It smells… specific," Koneko said.

"Specific?" Issei asked.

"I could smell it faintly on Elros; it's the same smell here, but stronger," she answered.

"Wow. You're amazing, Koneko," Elros said as he patted her head, much to her delight. Suddenly, she came to a stop.

"It's through there, in a clearing," she said, keenly observing the sight before her. She gulped as she saw the ma.s.sive, lumbering figure.

"Ready?" Rias asked everyone. They nodded before they headed forward.

Issei, Gasper, and Asia turned white as they saw the creature; while Kiba, Xenovia, and Akeno quickly shifted into their battle forms, anger in their eyes - the monster nearly took Elros from them. Rias held Koneko close, both of them angry as well.

As it faced them, it opened its maw wide and let out a ma.s.sive shriek that made some of them cover their ears. It soon set its eyes on Elros, noting who he was. Again, it shrieked but directed it at him.

"What the h.e.l.l…," Issei said, gulping.

"That thing is… scary," Gasper said.

"You ready, buddy?" Elros asked Gasper. Gasper looked to him and nodded. Suddenly, Gasper's eyes changed; instead of the violet they were, they became a red with several slits through them, while the iris glowed bright yellow like a gem as he concentrated on the creature. Elros saw the effect almost immediately. It was as though the entire area was covered in a black shroud. Looking at the creature, he saw a startling sight - its mouth was open in a shriek, but no sound was coming out. He noted a purple aura emanating from the beast - signifying that it was frozen it time, while the others were still able to move.

"Now!" Rias commanded.

A sudden and powerful burst of electricity was unleashed from Akeno's fingertips, while Gasper aimed his weapon as well and a green light burst out. Connecting with the electricity, they struck the creature dead on in the eye. Suddenly, the shroud disappeared and the sound was heard again. The creature roared and screeched in pain as it felt the attack which it had not sensed a moment before. They covered their ears as its voice rang through the trees; were they closer, it might've deafened them. As it stopped shrieking, Elros saw the effect of the attack - the eye was gone, in its place only black blood seeping out.

"That was beyond epic buddy," Elros congratulated Gasper who grinned wide at him.

"You think so?" he asked excitedly.

"You're definitely the bada.s.s of the group, kiddo. I pity the fool who messes with you," he said as he ruffled Gasper's hair.

"Did you see me shoot the light?!" Gasper asked.

"h.e.l.l yeah. That was awesome, how your attack combined with Akeno's," Elros praised him, making Gasper giddy.

"What should I do now?" Gasper asked.

"You already took care of the heavy lifting, buddy. If you want to try stopping it again, you can but for now, I want you to hang back, alright? Help keep Asia safe as well. I'm counting on you, alright?" Elros asked. Gasper nodded vigorously as he went by Asia's side, his eyes surprisingly full of determination.

"He sure has a way with words," Akeno whispered to Rias who smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, my turn!" Issei yelled as he charged the beast with Kiba while Akeno continued to shoot lighting at it.

"BOOST!" Ddraig sounded out as Ascalon erupted from his Boosted Gear. He tore it across the beast, but to his surprise, it had no damage.

"Not even a scratch!" Issei said in shock as he barely dodged a stomp from the thing.

"My turn!" Kiba shouted as his sword was suddenly enshrouded in a fire. He cut it across the other side of the beast - and to his surprise and excitement, something happened. The beast roared in pain as a searing gash was opened on its side, blood beginning to pour out.

"It's weak against fire!" Kiba said.

"Akeno!" Rias shouted. Akeno nodded and soon shifted to sending fireb.a.l.l.s at the beast while Kiba took the other offensive and began to pepper it with puncturing and slashing attacks. The beast tried to evade the attacks, but it was having a hard time keeping up now.

"In here!" Elros shouted to Akeno as he suddenly constructed a funnel. Akeno charged up a ma.s.sive stream of fire that she directed into the funnel which Elros began to use to spray the monster with a pressurized stream of fire, focusing on its face. The monster began to scream as its attack became more flailing, trying to find a way to escape its predicament. Kiba barely managed to dodge a punishing stomp before he leaped back and struck the monster in one of its hind legs.

Seeing the damage that he had done, Xenovia decided to finish the job on the leg. She brought Durandal down on the half chopped leg with a punishing blow - more punishing than Kiba could summon. Bypa.s.sing the leathery skin, she was able to aim directly for the muscles that were exposed. She sheared through the bone, tearing the leg off the monster completely. It howled in pain at the severance of the limb as it tried to hop around.

"This thing is powerful," Issei said, gritting his teeth.

"I know. It's still running strong on three legs," Elros said, impressed by the willpower of the creature. To him, it seemed almost a shame to have to kill it. But there was no other choice. Rias suddenly sent a sphere of black energy at another leg of the creature - removing it with her Crimson Power of Destruction. As Elros turned to her, he saw that she was panting a bit.

"What's wrong?" Elros asked, worried.

"I… have to charge my most powerful attacks before using them. There's a cool down period as well. I didn't think my regular ones would work, but that one should've… killed it completely. I don't know how its still alive," Rias said, gulping.

'What the h.e.l.l is this thing?' she thought.

"Two legs gone! And it's still moving!" Issei shouted. Kiba, Akeno, and Xenovia shared a glance as they watched the creature gets its footing, before nodding. Kiba quickly dipped in and slashed it viciously across one of its legs; Xenovia followed up with Durandal, almost shearing it off - a few inches remained. Akeno sent a punishing stream of fire at the creature and looks its third leg off, watching it flop down below. Finally, the monster fell over on its side. It had one leg, with black blood disgorging out of the other three.

"It's still alive," Kiba gulped as he went up to it. It began to snap at his legs; he barely avoided losing one. It snarled and cried and roared at them, its terrible voice carrying over the air and causing birds to flee and animals to hiss.

"How do we kill it?" Xenovia asked as she brought her sword down on its face - barely leaving a cut.

"We can't just kill it. We need to get rid of the body. I don't want ANYONE seeing this creature again. If there are more like it… or if they somehow make more? No. We need something final," Rias said.

"I can… take it far away," Elros suggested.

"What do you mean?" Akeno asked as she finally set down near him.

"I can take its body and deposit it into the sun," Elros said.

Everyone stood dumbfounded for a minute.

"WHAT?!" they asked in unison.

"What do you mean?" Elros asked.

"What do we mean!? What do you mean?! YOU CAN'T JUST THROW IT INTO s.p.a.cE LIKE ITS NOTHING?!" Issei asked.

"Not like it's nothing… but it's an option," Elros shrugged.

"Rias?" Akeno asked. Rias looked at her before looking at Elros.

"Do it. I think that's best," Rias said firmly.

"Alright. But first… we need to kill it. It's in a lot of pain," Elros said with a frown.

"Seriously?" Akeno asked. Was he suggesting to show it mercy?

"This thing almost killed you. You really want to give it a coup de grâce?" Xenovia asked, looking at it spitefully.

"I don't torture," Elros said, his voice surprisingly cold. He placed a constructed weight on the creature, making sure it couldn't move before he held his ring to its eyes. The creature snapped and snarled at him as Elros charged up the attack.

Elros looked at Rias before nodding to Koneko, Gasper, and Asia. Understanding, she whisked them away to spare them the sight of what was going to happen. Akeno and Xenovia looked at each other unsurely, while Kiba and Issei simply looked on - they too felt bad for the beast. Finally, after the charge was done, Elros let it burst. It tore through the eyes, pa.s.sing through the brain of the monster. As black gore seeped out, he saw the breathing stop - it was dead. Removing the weight, he encased the body and the severed limbs in a green sphere before he quickly lifted off, pa.s.sing through the clouds and into the heavens.

Akeno quickly burned the land to clear it of the blood while the others began to head home.

"Did he seem off?" Xenovia asked.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"When he said 'I don't torture.' I don't know, he seemed… cold," Xenovia said with a gulp.

"Can't blame him with his scars. Some of them are from torture," Kiba said, remembering his own. The others thought on that as they parted ways and headed home.

"There's still a lot about his past we don't know," Akeno said sadly to Rias.

"I know. But he can share when he's comfortable with doing so. I don't want to push him," Rias said.

"I know," Akeno nodded as she thought ahead to her date with him soon, as well as the preamble to it.

-o-

Elros looked on ahead - his entire vision enshrouded by yellow. Burning and humming in front of him was a star - the Sun. His Sun. He looked at its wondrous majesty; him barely a speck of dust before it. It stretched up, down, side to side as far as he could see and tell, curving gently into its spherical shape. His ring protected him from the brutal effects at this distance, as well as keeping him from being pulled into the sun's gravity. Were it not for that, he wouldn't have made it this close - he would've been incinerated millions of miles back.

With a mighty throw, he launched the green sphere that carried the remains of the monster into the star. There was no sound of the job completing; no hiss as the flesh burned; nothing. The remains simply disappeared into the ether. With a final glance, he turned and left; he had one more stop to make.

-o-

Elros landed in Gotham City, in front of a ma.s.sive manor. It had an old gothic feel to it, completely symmetrical on all sides. He saw the turrets on top of each tower as he came down, as well as the ridiculous amount of windows. The house was nothing, however - the magic happened under it. He was about to walk up to the door when it suddenly opened and closed. He smiled as he saw who exited.

"Elros!" greeted a beautiful, bespectacled redhead. She wore a blue tank top and black jeans, as well as round gla.s.ses over her stunning green eyes. Her lips curved into a smile as she saw him and ran over, hugging him tightly. Elros returned the hug just as tightly; it had been a while since he last saw her.

"Hey, Barbara," Elros said with a smile, happy to see her again.

"You're looking good. Come to see Bruce?" she asked.

"Yup. Need an a.n.a.lysis. He in?" Elros asked.

"Yup. Sorry, I can't stay to catch up. I need to see my dad," she sighed.

"Still haven't told him?" Elros asked.

"Nope, not yet. I… you know how he is. I need to break it to him delicately," Barbara sighed, running her hands across his chest, before she brought them to his face, tracing his scar and sighing before running her hands back across his chest.

"You could always do what I always tell Bruce," Elros shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't think that dropping a bunch of criminals at his feet, taking off my mask, and saying 'Hey there old chum, I've got something I need to tell you,' in a deep voice is going to work. But thanks. Anyways, I'll call you later, yeah?" she asked as she kissed him on the cheek, playing gently with his hair as she lingered there, taking in his scent.

"Sure. Later, Barbara," Elros said, swooping down and kissing her cheek as well. With another smile, she ran off. Elros walked through the two large doors that she was in front of, closing them with a bang.

"Ah! Master Elros! How are you this evening, sir?" greeted an old butler with a smile. He was in his old age, late 60s, or early 70s and was dressed in a striking black suit, his white hair neatly brushed and a wise smile on his lips.

"Alfred. Good to see you," Elros said, embracing the man, who returned it.

"Likewise. You're here to see Master Bruce, I take it?" Alfred asked as he began leading Elros towards where he needed to go.

"Yup. I need him to run an a.n.a.lysis. Deep one," Elros said seriously.

"It must be serious if you request it. Very well, I shall take you to him," Alfred said.

"Thanks, Alfred. Just saw Barbara, by the way. What's up?" Elros wondered.

"The same as ever, Master Elros. Miss Gordon is intent on helping Master Bruce in his… escapades. Of course, Master Bruce is reluctant," Alfred sighed.

"With good reason," Elros said seriously.

"Indeed," Alfred said as he suddenly leaned down to a panel on the wall. It revealed an iris scanner, which scanned Alfred's eye. The wall suddenly shot up to reveal a secret entrance that they walked into. As the wall shut behind them, Elros felt a rumble before they began to go down.

"Master Bruce informed me that you are in j.a.pan now?" Alfred said.

"I was wondering when he'd bring that up. When'd he tell you?" Elros asked with a grin.

"Just a week ago," Alfred said.

"Ha! He's losing his touch. Been there for a month," Elros said, raising a hand in victory.

"Well, shutting The Louvre down for an entire day tends to draw attention," Alfred said with a smile.

"Matters of the heart, my good man," Elros said as he slung his arm around Alfred.

"Quite. Here you are, sir. Master Bruce will show you the exit when you wish to leave. I must attend to my duties," Alfred said with a bow.

"Thanks, Alfred. I'll see you later," Elros said as the wall opened up before him and he walked out into a cold and dark cavern, smiling as he looked at the sights. Metal, scaffolds, pipes, costumes, a pool, a giant penny, a dinosaur, cars - quite the eclectic mix. He began walking on a metal platform, grinning as he saw what he was looking for.

There, in front of a giant wall of computers, each showing a different thing, was the smartest man he knew. He saw the broad outline of his features - as tall as Elros. His entire body was covered with a black cape, with a cowl in the shape of a bats head off to the side. Elros knew that when he turned around, he'd be wearing the usual: a stunning suit with a bat symbol embossed on a yellow circle, right in the chest - a target for everyone. The rest of his suit was an eerie, metallic/kevlar black and he wore a yellow belt around his waist - one that held wonders that were still a secret to him. His hands were covered with blue gloves with spiky protrusions and on his feet black boots. His hair was tousled around - no doubt he had just gotten back.

"Bruce," Elros greeted.

"Elros," the man replied in a deep voice, not taking his eye off the screen.

"It's good form to look at someone to greet them," Elros grumbled.

"I'm not too worried about offending you," Bruce replied.

"Yeah, you never are," Elros sighed.

"What can I do for you?" Bruce asked, finally swiveling to look at him. Bruce Wayne was a handsome man with striking features. He had piercing black eyes that cut to the very soul of a person; they held almost no joy, save for when he brought his vengeance upon those who would harm his city and her people. He was, as always, frowning for the most part.

"Woah! Hold on!" Elros suddenly shouted, his hands up.

"What?" Bruce asked.

"Your face! are you smiling!? ALFRED! WE GOT A PROBLEM!" Elros roared for the butler. Bruce sighed, the sides of his mouth twitching for a second.

"What is it that you need? I'm busy. We can't all go to high school in j.a.pan. Lovely town, by the way," Bruce said.

"I know. What do you think of my cla.s.smates?" Elros asked with a grin.

"Do you think it wise to cavort with so many women?" Bruce asked.

"Seriously? You're asking me that?" Elros grumbled.

"Zatanna? Starfire? Barbara? Kara? Likely some more I'm forgetting," Bruce asked.

"You don't care about my love life. This is just how you get your kicks," Elros grumbled.

"Perhaps. The town you're in has been home to some interesting phenomenon, though," Bruce said seriously.

"Yeah. I'll tell you about it some other time, though - it's a fascinating story, to be sure. Until then, I need you to look at something for me," Elros said as he pulled out a vial and tossed it to his friend.

"What is it?" Bruce asked in interest.

"I had a run it with a monster. Here," Elros said as he made a construct out of it. Bruce quickly got up and began observing it with interest, making notes here and there and scanning a model for further research and use.

"What is it?" Bruce asked, intrigued.

"That's what I need you to figure out. I've never seen anything like it before. Nearly killed me," Elros said as he raised his shirt and took off the bandages to show him the damage.

"You need to be more careful. This one would've killed you if it was off by an inch," Bruce said, pointing out the one near his heart.

"The third eye - hypnosis. Stunned me, after which it impaled me," Elros said.

"I see. That's… disturbing to say the least. I'll dig up what I can. Once I get the results, I'll call you here to discuss them," he said as he took a seat.

"That works. Although, I don't think there's any more in that area. But if there's more in the world - we need to get on it as soon as f.u.c.king possible. Two dead so far; likely stunned before they were half eaten," Elros said.

"I see. Very well. I'll expedite it. Come back later to discuss your… going ons," Bruce said.

"Yeah. Later, Bats," Elros chuckled. As he was about to leave, however, Bruce spoke again.

"Have you given any thought to what we discussed last time?" he asked, his voice even more serious if that was possible. Elros sighed and looked at him, leaning on a railing.

"I have. Do you really think it's necessary?" Elros asked, his voice unusually serious as well.

"We've done our best to limit threats thus far, but they will break through. It's a forgone conclusion. We're on the map," Bruce said.

"The others? Where do they stand?" Elros asked.

"Clark has agreed. No one else, yet," Bruce said.

"Just Clark?" Elros asked, surprised.

"Just Clark. They think they're all capable of handling these threats by themselves. After all, we don't exactly play well with each other," Bruce said, looking intently at Elros. Elros let out a deep exhale before he looked at Bruce. Bruce was one of the few people that Elros knew that wouldn't look away once he locked eyes with you; he would stare at you, a.n.a.lyzing every movement your face made. Finally, Elros nodded.

"Been thinking about it and I'm in. Better safe than sorry, anyway. Besides, when you talk, it's best to listen," Elros said. Bruce nodded in agreement.

"I'll keep you posted. Until then, help out as you see fit. I'll call you when something comes up," Bruce said as he turned back to his work.

Elros quickly left through a door that Bruce opened for him, heading into the sky in a green flash.

-o-

As he got back home, he saw that Rias and Akeno were already asleep. He smiled as he saw their peaceful figures, gently inserting himself between them. Rias opened an eye as she felt him get in.

"Hey," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you," he replied.

"It's fine. Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, just tired. Let's get some rest," Elros said. Rias nodded and rested her head on his chest, Akeno taking his shoulder. Soon, they were deep asleep.