GOD POV
A group of devils and a mysterious stranger stood on a hill near the city border. He stood with his back to them and looked at the warehouse, to which the security services had arrived.
???: So... we have a few hours before they submit their rapot, and about a day before THEY come here.
He turned to group.
???: So you can ask your questions.
Boy took off his hood which covered most of his face and showed everyone his [H/L] [H/C] hair, [E/C] eyes and... battered and bruised face full of scars. Rias looked at him for a moment in silence, wondering what had happened to him and why he keeps smiling like that.
Rias: Yes... For start, why are you smiling like that? You weren't so cheerful a moment ago.
???: If you knew who I am, you wouldn't be talking to me. That's enough reason to be happy.
Crimson-haired girl didn't like the boy's evasive answers, just like her comrades .
Rias: Answer without any tricks. Who are you, what are you doing here... and why do you have this girly bracelet...?
Boy looked at his left hand on which a purple neon bracelet was hanging.
???: I'm sorry, I couldn't find any male bracelet like this anywhere, and I really need one. Because, as you've already seen...
He approached his right hand to the bracelet from which light started to be absorbed by stranger's hand.
F/N: ...it can be a source of my energy. And I'm sorry about my lack of good manners, I'm [F/N] [L/N], and I am a "Conduit".
Rias: I've never heard of anyone like that...
F/N: That's why we're talking here.
Boy smiled broadly again.
F/N: I thought that black-haired girl was a Conduit, too. That's why I was so happy then. I haven't seen one of us in a long time. *Sighs* But since she's not a Conduit, how can she control lightning?
Rias knew she couldn't tell the truth to some random man, even if he have powerful powers.
Rias: I'm here to ask questions!
The gentle expression disappeared from the boy's face and suddenly changed to cold and penetrating.
F/N: I answered a few of your questions, answer for one mine.
A dense atmosphere could be felt in the air.
Rias: I can't tell you this, all you need to know is that you are in my territory so you need to show me respect.
F/N: "Your territory"? You think you're some kind of city protector?
Rias: Yes, this town is under my protection. I will protect its ordinary citizens and the students of my school too.
F/N: It's worth to know...
Rias:Now answer my last question! What are you doing here?
F/N: I'm running.
Such quick answer baffled Rias.
Rias: From what?
F/N: From those who want to lock me up in the worst place for people like me. I am the most wanted bioterrorist in the world.
When they heared word "terrorist", Kiba drew his sword, Koneko took a defensive stance and Akeno summoned lightning into her hand. Rias wanted to stop them, but before she could say anything, F/N put on his hood again and his hands lighted with purple light.
F/N: I could predicted that...
Before the devils could do anything, the boy disappeared and Gremory group felt how dangerous F/N could be.
Koneko: Where he...
Kiba: Koneko! Behind you!
A white-haired girl turned around and saw the F/N's fist go in her face direction. All she had time to do was close her eyes and prepare for the blow, but after a while she felt only a slight blast of air and stopped feel the earth under her feet. When she opened her eyes, she saw her body floating slowly in the air and surrounded by a purple aura.
As soon as aura disappeared, her body started to fall, so Kiba threw away his sword, quickly ran up and grabbed her.
Kiba: It's okay, I got you.
Girl just nodded her head when she got back on her feet, everyone realized that F/N disappeared.
Rias: Damn it... We're not gonna catch him now. Let's go back to the club room. There we will decide what to do next.
All: Yes, Rias-Buchou!
When devils spread their wings and flew towards the school, F/N, hiding behind the trees, decided to follow them. He knew it would be dangerous to stay in the city and follow the mysterious group, but the curiosity was stronger.
After a few minutes of tracking, he saw them entering some old building on the school grounds. From a safe distance he watched what they're doing. He couldn't hear anything, but thanks to his sharp eyesight he saw everything what they doing.
Rias: We don't know him, we don't know what he can do. He could be dangerous. Kiba, Koneko. You'll be patrolling the city tonight, if you meet him, you'll let us know immediately.
K/K: Yes Buchou!
Rias: Akeno, you'll be looking with me for information about him. If he really is wanted, we should find something.
Akeno: Yes Buchou!
Rias: Dismissed.
A white-hair girl and a blond boy left the building, F/N hid to not be noticed, Rias and Akeno began to search for information about our hero. They didn't have to look for long to get to the D.U.P. website.
They were greeted by a huge black-yellow-and-white logo.
"Welcome to the Department of Unified Protection website.
We're here to protect."
They've read the information on the website.
"We are an organization whose task is to maintain peace in the age of bioterrorists threat. Bioterrorists are too dangerous to be able to live in a normal society with normal people. Every caught bioterrorist will be sent to one of the specially prepared prisons so that they can never again threaten public order. If you know where they can hide, please contact us..."
Akeno: They very often repeat the word 'bioterrorist'.
Rias: It's part of the propaganda, so people will call these... Conduits like that...
Akeno: But they imprison these people just because they have powers? It's terrible!
They started browsing the site further in searching for information about F/N.
Akeno: Maybe here there'll be something here.
A black-haired girl said, pointing at "The Most Wanted" tab. A list of five people showed up.
5. Name: Celia Surname: Penderghast | Threat level: Knight
4. Name: Henry Surname: Daughtry | Threat level: Bishop
3. Name: Abigail Surname: Walker | Threat level: Rook
2. Name: Eugene Surname: Sims | Threat level: Queen
1. Name: [F/N] Surname: [L/N] | Threat level: King
The threat level description surprised Rias and Akeno, so they clicked F/N description and saw the page with his big photo and informations about him.
Name: F/N
Surname: L/N
Age: 18
Height: [Y/H]
Threat level: King
Bioterrorist type: Natural
Power(s): Power Absorption (Core abillity)
Smoke manipulation (Absorbed)
Neon manipulation (Absorbed)
Additional (?)
Additional information: Confrontation with this individual is strongly inadvisable. Object is unpredictable, the Ultimate Appropriations allowed.
Akeno: "Ultimate Appropriations?" What does that mean?
Rias: I don't know, but it's no wonder his behavior was so paranoid.
Girls spent a long time talking about this case, while F/N who watched it all from a distance felt tired, so he decided to rest. Near school he found an old, a bit destroyed and barricaded house. He come to the boards which were blocking the door and noticed a gap between them.
F/N: I could pass between them, but I need...
He looked at neighbour house and saw a chimney with smoke rising from it.
F/N: ...smoke *smile*
He climbed onto the roof of the house, stretched out his hand towards smoke that was immediately absorbed by him. He returned to the abandoned building and in the form of smoke he got inside through gap.
House was empty inside. All rooms were without furniture, so F/N had to lie down on the floor. He took off his hoodie - so his gunshot scars and burn wounds on his hands were visible - formed it into a pillow and lay down on it.
F/N: It could always be worse...
Shortly afterwards, he fell into a deep sleep.
Next morning
The sun's rays of sunshine perfectly falling on F/N face, woke him up from his deep sleep. He quickly got up, took his hoodie and dressed it again. He tried looked through gap between the boards to see if anyone was around and when he thinked that nobody would notice him, he left house in smoke form.
He set off again towards school and got to his observation post. When the students started coming, he noticed that crimson and black hair girls had left the building they were in the last evening.
F/N: So they live there, interesting...
He tried to watch them, but suddenly he felt this strange feeling. A feeling he didn't feel when he met Akeno, but felt it a few years ago when he met another Conduit.
F/N: So there is some countryman...
Unfortunately, there were too many students to find out which one is Conduit from such a long distance.
F/N: I hope the D.U.P won't come here...
He looked at the street and noticed that a heavy vehicle with a familiar logo on the door was approaching the school...
F/N: Oh, for fuck's sake... D.U.P...
He hid behind the cover so no one would notice him. A man in a grey-yellow coat with the D.U.P. logo came out of the vehicle
behind him, came out two soldiers in a grey-black uniform, yellow armour and rifles in their hands.
F/N: Bishop and Pawns... What are they doing here? They cannot know that there is a Conduit in this school... So there are probably a few more such groups in the city... Damn, they are fast...
Bishop exchanged a few words with the principal, showed some paper and the principal nodded, agreeing to something. Bishop gave a sign and the soldiers pulled some strange device out of the vehicle.
F/N knew what that thing was. This instrument made it possible to check whether a person had a Conduit gene or not by scanning his or her hand only.
F/N: So they want to check out the students... I wonder if they will check other residents of this city...
Device was installed in front of school entrance, and after a few minutes, from the school loudspeakers, a message could be heard to gather in front of the school. Immediately the school entrance was filled with students.
Rias POV
All the students were summoned outside the school, which is strange, because today shouldn't be any school assembly or anything like that. Before entering the school, we saw two armed soldiers and one in a grey coat. All three of them had a sign of the organization that was hunting F/N.
Grey coat: Attention please!
The hubbub stopped.
Grey coat: Thank you. You don't know us, but I can assure you that we are here for your own good. We belong to an organization known as the Department of Unified Protection. We hunt bioterrorists...
Suddenly, students panicked.
Girl 1: Terroroist?!
Boy: I thought it was just a conspiracy theory!
Girl 2: I dont wanna die!
The man in gray coat raised his hand and everyone calmed down and looked at him again.
Grey coat: That's why we're here. We've been notified that one of them may be hiding in this town. And we came to catch him/her. First of all, I would like you to tell me, whether one of you have seen one of these people?
He pulled out a phone from which a hologram was displayed showing these five people that we saw in the evening on their web page. The last one was F/N, I looked at Akeno and then Koneko and Kiba. We all stood quietly.
Grey coat: Okay, if none of you have seen anyone of this list, it's possible that a bioterrorist is among you.
All students stood like frozen.
Grey coat: But don't worry. We have a way to find him/her.
He moved aside and showed us some strange device.
Grey coat: Thanks to that, we'll just scan your hand and find out if any of you are a bioterrorist.
A device that can scan whole human body with using only a hand? What if it can also detect devils? We can't risk...
Grey coat: Do you have someone like the President of Student Council in this school? He/She will show you that there is nothing to be afraid of.
A black, short hairy girl with glasses came out of the crowd. This is the President of the Student Council and my friend Sona Sitri. However, she was stoped by another black-haired girl with glasses, this time with long hair, that was the Vice-President of the Council, Tsubaki Shinra.
Tsubaki: Please, let me do this, Kaichou.
Sona was also a devil, and Tsubaki was her queen, so it is understandable that if she had any problems, she would have protected Sona with her life. Sona nodded and returned to the line, while Tsubaki moved towards the man and the device.
Tsubaki: My name is Tsubaki Shinra, I am the Vice President of the Council. If you will allow me, I will go first.
Grey coat: Sure, go ahead.
Man just shruged his shoulders and Tsubaki approached the machine.
Device: Please, put your hand in the designated area.
Tsubaki put her hand down and my heart started to beat faster when the machine was making the scan sounds. Soldier looked at the small screen on the side of the machine.
Soldier 1: Human.
I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Grey coat: You see? It doesn't hurt at all. Who's next?
For the next hour, each student was checked separately. Everything seemed to be going well when people from class 2-B approached the machine. Two girls from this class, Murayama and Katase, successfully passed the test and Aika Kiryuu, a brown-haired girl with braids, approached machine.
Murayama: Be careful, Kiryuu!
Katase: Good luck!
Kiryuu: Come on girls... What can go-...
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
The soldiers immediately pointed their rifles at her, and Aika looked at them in terror.
Soldier 2: On ther ground!
Kiryuu: Wha... But...
Soldier 1: Are you deaf?! On the ground!
Soldier hit Kiryuuu with his rifle, and she fell to the ground.
Grey coat: So we have our culprit...
Terrified Kiryuu, couldn't say anything, and students couldn't believe it, no wonder. They wanted to kidnap one of our friends and there was nothing we could do! They put some giant... thing, on her hands and threw it forcibly into the back of their vehicle.
Grey coat: Let's continue, please...
Shortly afterwards, when the rest of students were classified as "humans", the soldiers started to pack the equipment back into the car.
Rias: Emm... I'm sorry!
I ran out to the man in the coat.
Grey coat: Yes? How can i help you?
Rias: May I know where you're taking her? Will we be able to see her again?
One of the soldiers snorted a laugh, which caught my attention.
Grey coat: This bioterrorist will be sent to the nearest prison for people like her. She will never be released again, so you don't have to worry about your safety.
Man smiled and got into the vehicle together with the soldiers. And I was only able to say quietly:
Rias: She's not a terrorist...
GOD POV
A few hours later
After school, Rias was sitting in a club room with a dead look on her face. She hasn't spoken to anyone since Kiryuu was taken away. Akeno went into the room and served her tea.
Akeno: Here you are, Buchou. Your favorite.
She stood quietly for a few seconds, but Rias didn't answer her and didn't even drink her tea.
Akeno: Then I'd better go...
With a sad expression on her face, she moved towards the exit.
Rias: ...You know what the worst part is...?
Akeno turned toward Rias.
Akeno: No...
Rias: ...The worst part is, when we talked with that boy, F/N. I told him that I would protect the students of our school... And I didn't manage to fulfill this promise...
F/N: Do you want to still fulfill it?
Girls looked at the door where F/N was standing, his clothes were torned and his face had a new, still fresh wound.
F/N: I asked you a question.
Rias was only able to nod her head, then F/N knocked on wall three times, and from behind his back came out Kiryuuu, also in a torned outfit, with tears in his eyes.
Kiryuu: Rias-senpai... *sob*