Life 2-2

The next morning, Noé was going about his routine with a notable deal of caution behind it. Something Van took clear note of as the boy was cooking breakfast. And Noé could tell too, since feeling his father's eyes boring into his skull wasn't exactly what he would call all that pleasant.

"Something happened last night," Van cut right into the matter as Noé set the plates. Noé sighed as he sat down, heavily leaning on an arm. "What was it? Not another gang fight I would presume?"

"Well… not a gang fight exactly," Noé cleared his throat, Van raising a brow as he raised his mug to his lips. "Ugh… I… I got attacked by some Fallen Angels."

"Huh?!" Van spluttered, barely keeping the coffee in his mouth from spraying across the table. The man gagged as he went for a napkin, clearing his throat. "You were… I'm sorry, repeat that please!"

"When I was getting groceries, I sensed a few people. It obviously wasn't any of your familiars, so I took another route. And then, once no one was around, a bunch of Fallen Angels came out and attacked me," Noé was obviously abridging the story, but giving all of the details wasn't exactly the point. "I drove them off though. It was pretty easy, all things considered. Some low rankers, nothing more. But uh… they did know about me being half devil… and that I have a Sacred Gear."

"…" Van remained silent, but Noé knew his father enough to know the man was clearly mulling over the information. "Go on…"

"Only four of them were Fallens though. There was a fifth, but they didn't show themselves. I did ping a Familiar though… I told it to tell its Master to come to me personally if they want to spy," Noé knew there was no use in trying to hide it anyway. Even if it meant he would potentially get lectured for acting so obviously recklessly. But instead, Van's face remained pensive and calm. Almost as if something like this was an event he had long considered a possibility. "Dad?"

"While I could reprimand you for making a reckless move, if they had their eyes on you then clearly there's no reason to not act as if we can suddenly behave as if all of this wouldn't have ever happened. Though I will say shooting the familiar was unnecessary."

"I am aware this is gonna come back to bite me. I'm just waiting to see how."

The ringing of the doorbell drew both of them out of the so far short conversation. The father and son exchanged a glance. Without another word, they stood and threw their hands out in a quick rock-paper-scissors game. Noé sighed, paper failing him once more, Van giving him a smirk.. The doorbell rang again, Noé rolling his eyes as he trotted to the door while his hair and eyes shifted color. As he approached, he immediately felt his guard go up on instinct when his senses went off. Whoever's behind that isn't hiding their aura… so not a human. Tsuno would just bust the door open if it was him. The bell rang a third time, Noé grumbling as he opened it.

"It's like six in the morning, what could someone…" Noé trailed off as he saw the surprise visitor; Crimson hair, bright blue eyes, and that distractingly curvy figure showed off by her school uniform. "Gremory? What in the everloving hell are you doing here?"

"Oh my, is a classmate showing up at your door that much of a surprise?" The girl's coy smile wasn't doing her any favors in Noé's opinion.

"Well considering you're not Tsuno… yes," was his blunt response. "Seriously, what're you here for?" Noé caught her pause for a moment, as if Rias was expecting him to catch something. He sighed. He knew exactly what this was about. "This is about last night, isn't it?"

"My, you do catch on quickly," Rias giggled. "Considering your usual behavior off campus…" Rias glanced past Noé as she spotted Van leaning into view. "and as your classmate, I figured perhaps I could help you deal with it. We're both third years after all, I'd quite hate for your last year before college to go awry because of such hooligans, wouldn't you say?"

Talk about trying to play around the issue. Noé glanced back towards Van, the man nodding. Seems she doesn't know who Dad is though… I can work with that. "Really now? Almost three years in and now you decide to talk to me about this? I figured Shitori getting onto me now and again was good enough."

"Well, considering the luck that is us being in the same class this year, perhaps now would be a good time to get more than merely knowledgeable of each other. I happen to have an offer I would like to make, so would you care to listen as we walk to school?"

"Hmm…" Noé looked back one more time. He took a moment to look Rias over. Composed face, confident smile… whatever she has in mind, and if she does know what went down last night, she clearly knows what I can do. So what is she planning then? "Fine. Let me get my things. But don't blame me if people start saying weird things at school."

"I assure you, Edelweiss, no one will say anything."

Noé shut the door and gathered his supplies up. As he was heading back to the front, Van stopped him with a quick wave of the hand.

"Don't be too paranoid," Van said, Noé raising a brow. "Look, just trust me on this one."

"Do you know what this is about?"

"In a way," The confirmation just made Noé raise his brow as high as it could go. "I'll explain it to you after school. There are some calls I need to make if it has come to this. So, for now… just go along with what the girl plans, alright? Rather than make it troublesome for yourself."

"… you know I don't like it when you're vague like this," Noé muttered, Van giving him a sterner look. "But, fine. This has to do with why mom travels all the time too… doesn't it?" Van gave an affirming nod, Noé letting out a short huff. "Alright then. I hope the explanation is worth it. See you later."

"Have a good day."

Van ducked into his "office" once more, and Noé stepped outside to find Rias waiting outside of the yard's gate, looking away from checking her watch as Noé approached. They silently made their way off, not a word being exchanged between them as they made distance from the house. Once it was out of sight, Noé could feel the mood change a bit.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase, yeah?" Noé came to a stop, Rias taking a few steps more before turning. To Noé's annoyance, the slight slope of the hill put her slightly above him. "Let's get the basic part of this out of the way: You're a Devil too, aren't you?"

"You noticed? Is this a recent thing, or have you always been aware I also wasn't human?" Rias had an amused lilt to her voice. Noé scoffed as he took a few steps ahead of her.

"Oh please, don't act like this town isn't home to all kinds of non-humans. You, the Student Council, hell a few members of the student body ain't what you'd call normal either. I think the fact your dad is suspiciously labeled as the school's administrator says a lot."

"Not just sharp, but also well informed," Rias mused. "A shame. I had an entire idea laid out, but it seems I may not need to go the whole way. So, to answer your question, yes, I am a Devil," and as if to make her own point, Rias strode ahead again to once more have elevation on Noé. His irked look only seemed to amuse her. "I am Rias Gremory, daughter to House Gremory of the Ars Goetia, and its current heir. I will indeed admit I've had my eyes on you for a while now, Noé Edelweiss… it's rare to find a half-devil on their lonesome out in a place such as this. Much less one bearing a Sacred Gear."

"Then I'm also gonna cut the routine," Noé strode ahead again, Rias giving him an amused smirk. Clearly this had turned into a game of putting oneself over the other. "I'm going to assume then it was one of yours who was tailing me alongside those Fallens. And that it was your Familiar I put a bolt into the face of."

"Were the situation different, I'd be paying you back for that, so you know," Rias let a flicker of black flash across her hand. Noé scoffed in reply to the threat. "Though I'll admit part of why I'm doing this now is thanks to you being so… direct in the message you sent. "Do it in person, not spy on me" if I remember the wording correctly."

"Glad you got the message. So, pray tell, why was one of yours also tailing me?"

"Well that was for observation, nothing more," Rias admitted. "However, after last night, let's say the situation… changed. Even I would admit finding you were also being tracked by those Fallen Angels came as a surprise. Why now, I wonder? I mean, it's not like you haven't been acting on your own for years now."

"Sure as hell longer than you've been here," Noé said, his expression adding he wanted Rias to get to the point. "Again, the point. And don't do something coy like "I'll tell you after class" or anything like that because you want to be dramatic," Noé paused when he caught Rias flinch. "You were absolutely going to do that, weren't you? You were absolutely going to pull the act on me!"

"I-I have no idea what you mean! I definitely wasn't hoping to make this…" Rias slowed as Noé's narrowed gaze bore into her. He even dropped the glamour slightly to return them to their bright gold color. "Did you have to do the eye thing?"

"Yes, I did."

"Ugh, my you're rude," Rias sighed, folding her arms under her chest. "Fine, if you wish to take the fun out of it, I'll be direct."

"Thank you."

"As the representative of House Gremory within this territory, I have been informed by my father, the current Head of the House that you, Noé Edelweiss, are to be granted status as a ward of our household. There's more to go over, and the streets are no place to do it. A discussion better had in the presence of my peerage, privately."

"Wait… what?!" Noé turned as Rias strode ahead of him again. "The hell do you mean the Gremorys are taking me in as a ward?! First I've heard about this!"

"It's the first I have heard about it as well," Rias replied. "This is a decision coming from my father, so I'm in no position to refute the statement. I don't know the reasons yet, but I am certainly keen to ask. But… considering what I saw last night, I think I have a good idea. Am I wrong, Red Dragon Emperor?"

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's well informed," Noé chuckled. "Little miss red also keeps herself informed, eh Ddraig?"

[I kept telling you we'd be found out sooner or later.] A third, booming voice spoke, seemingly from around Noé. But no other person appeared. Instead, a green, glowing emblem appeared on the back of his left hand, the mark shaped like a dragon's head. [Though who knows why it took this long… the mage does good work if it took until now.]

"And I can guess that would be the Welsh Dragon speaking," Rias mused. "My, to have Ddraig y Goch himself come out to speak with his wielder, this is quite the honor."

[Consider this an exception, Gremory.]

"I will keep it in mind. Well then, now that things are established, let's be on our way. Wouldn't want Sona to lecture you again for being late this time, yes?"

"You're just a joy of a time," Noé grumbled. "Ddraig, what do you think?" he kept things to his thoughts this time as he kept behind Rias. In the back of his mind, he could feel the presence he was oh so familiar with at this point in life, enough to bring out another image of "red" into his mind… though Noé would say this image was closer to "crimson."

[For now, let's just do what your old man says. Play along, and figure it out. Something is going on and I bet he knows about it. Let's just hope we get told about it from the man himself.]

"You're almost oddly interested in this."

[Why would I not be? My vessel is half-devil for crying out loud. Not something that usually happens for me.]

"Right."

This was the situation Noé was in that made him have to at times stay on the down low. It wasn't merely being a half-devil and hiding that nature when out in public. It was the fact he wasn't alone. Within him dwelled not just a power, but another being entirely. Ddraig y Goch, the Welsh Dragon of England. Or as others knew him, the Red Dragon Emperor. Bound to Noé's very soul through the gauntlets he could draw out, a tool known as a Sacred Gear… and there was at least some part of Noé that wished he could have had it easier.

But now it was clear the easy end of his life was starting to come to a close.