Crippled

Chapter 9

Issei blew out air from his puffed up cheeks, idly fiddling with his crutch with one hand even as the other twirled his pen around, mind drifting off as he leaned against the tree where he was sitting in Kuoh's grounds, the Student Council's shunted off paperwork almost forgotten by his side.

The old man Vasco Strada's words still lingering on him even days later.

'It means, that whoever did this has realized that we are one step closer to peace and wishes to disrupt that chance before it can grow.'

A peace between the Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels...really didn't matter to him in all honesty. Sure, he'd probably celebrate that event with Sona, Tsubaki, the Student Council, and even the Occult Research Club with whom he'd made tentative friends with if they threw a party, but he wasn't really all that affected by the peace itself.

A war on the other hand, would probably, most likely bleed through from the supernatural and into the lives of the normal world, and he had no desire in the least to live through one of those. Hell, if a war did break out, and he really hoped it wouldn't, then he just knew he'd be roped into it one way or another.

Asama said as much when she was telling him about the Boosted Gear, that he would be a game changer sometime in the future, so it wouldn't be a huge leap in logic to assume that the factions would look for him.

Issei sighed deeply, giving up resistance and rubbing at his forehead. This really was so above his payroll it wasn't even funny.

"Problems in paradise Issei-kun?"

He felt a small barrier be erected around him, and Issei rose an eyebrow as one Rias Gremory sat beside him, close enough that their elbows were brushing against each other.

"What do you want Gremory-senpai?" Issei asked, smoothing himself over to be polite then deciding it wasn't worth the effort to go all out.

"That's a bit harsh Issei-kun, don't you think?" The beautiful redhead smiled, not showing an ounce of her supposed discomfort.

'Shit.' Issei thought, fighting a battle with himself in an effort not to blush in her presence. It was a pretty hard feat, considering that she was the number one idol in the school for a good reason. It was even harder to not let his eyes wander down, all the more sosince Rias was almost baiting him into looking, and he just knew that she knew, with the coy tilt to her head and the touch of smugness in her lips along with the way she just subtly showed herself off.

Actually, thinking back to all the times that he's seen her around, maybe that was just her natural state of being.

Still, Issei refused to acknowledge that, partly because he wanted to find out the real reason Rias Gremory was talking to him, partly because he didn't want to make the current situation uncomfortable for him, and just him because there was simply no way Rias Gremory wasn't used to being stared at, looking like she did.

"You can take it. I believe in you Gremory-senpai." Issei said in the blandest voice he could muster. He cracked a bit sure, but he was pretty proud of himself for the effort considering his current situation.

"You love being sarcastic, don't you Issei-kun?" She asked casually, holding an arm out, a single leaf falling into her palm. She blew onto it gently, sending it flying away.