Jun Fudoh watched Alucard walk away, the red garbed vampire leaving her after their completing another assignment for their mysterious patron. ‘This might just be my chance,' she thought, moving into a dark alley before letting her transformation take hold of her. The slim, almost too light Jun bulged as muscles swelled and grew, her body expanding as a thin layer of fur grew over her body. AS her hair swept up into tiny wings real ones burst from her back, the Devilman form making her nearly a foot taller. With a sweep of her wings she was in the air, inhuman vision tracking her prey easily. Alucard was a vampire, well over a thousand years old if you believed him, and with his senses tracking him from the ground would be impossible. From the air, however, might give Jun a chance, especially if he was overconfident as usual. On the breeze Jun soared as Alucard walked the darkened streets, her eyes never leaving him. When Jun had been recruited by Alucard and the mysterious Major Motoko Kusanagi she had assumed they were privately operating, but the mission to Xena had convinced her otherwise. It had been a full military action, and the Major had clearly been in charge. That meant she worked for the government...and Jun wanted to know more. Alucard passed by the police station then surprisingly turned to enter the Memorial Park nearby, weaving through the garden and many statues until he reached a certain marker. He stood there for a few moments until the Major appeared, accompanied by another woman...one that Jun instantly recognized. ‘Sailor Venus,' Jun felt a shock then a wave of black rage, ‘I've been working for the damned Sailor Senshi?!' Fighting for control Jun left not knowing what she might do otherwise. Her transformation, the death of her beloved were all Asuka Ran's doing, but the blonde witch's reserarch couldn't have begun with out Sailor Mercury's research...and the Beast Progress might have been stopped completely if the Sailor Senshi had been there to help. Driven by her fury Jun reached her apartment, landing on the balcony as rage simmered in her blood. Too angry to revert to human the Devilman proceeded to trash the place, claws and muscle destroying furniture and cloth with hideous ease... Nearly a week later Nadesico Kinimoto put down the phone with a frown on her pretty face. She ran a hand through her short red hair as she looked out her office window and thought worriedly, ‘Jun still isn't answering.' Nadesico had wanted to invite Jun out during the fall festival, the three nights that ended with a night of costumed revelry, but so far she hadn't been able to reach her. She hadn't gone to her apartment because she knew how much Jun valued her privacy, but... With a sigh Nadesico got up from her desk, picking up her jacket and slugging it on over her work clothes. She headed up the hall and knocked, "Ma'am, I'm heading out." Mai Tokhia looked up from her own work, the orange haired young woman smiling slightly. "No problem," she said, "we're about done for the day." She smiled as she looked at Nadesico, "So, did you ask her out for tonight?" Nadesico blushed. "No," she confessed, "I can't seem to get a hold of her." Mai gave her a perceptive look, "And you're worried about her." "Jun has only been out of seclusion a few months now," Nadesico fretted, "I keep wondering if she'll decide just to leave..." "And you like her," Mai noted. She leaned forward, "You and I both know her background, she's grieved for her lover Kazumi for centuries. She may not be ready to accept your feelings." "I don't want her to be forced to accept how I feel," Nadesico smiled wryly, "I just want to be her friend." "She may not be ready to accept that, either," Mai smiled, remembering a certain friend of her own from long ago. Shaking off her memories she said, "We do have that new contract for Jun to look at..." Nadesico met her boss' smile, "A good excuse to check in on her." She rose then bowed slightly, "Thank you, ma'am." Mai waved her off with a laugh, "Good luck!" Nadesico hurried home, first, changing from her business wear to a casual dress and simple shoes, then hesitated over the costumes she had purchased. Deciding on a catgirl she crabbed the bag and Jun's costume then headed out, noting that twilight had come and the children and adults in costume had appeared. The fall festival was a mix of traditions dating back centuries, from the Day of the Dead to Octoberfest to Halloween. For three days there was a celebration of the change of seasons, a shift from light to dark and finally a night of costumed craziness as we formally said goodbye to summer and hello to fall. Reaching the apartment Nadesico hesitated, then used the code Jun gave her to get by security and enter. She felt a bit guilty about not calling ahead but squelched the feeling, hurrying upstairs to the upper floor apartment. She knocked once, waited, then knocked again into the almost eerie silence. "Jun? It's Nadesico," she called, feeling remarkably foolish. There was a moment of silence, then the door opened slightly as Jun croaked, "Go away." Nadesico caught a glimpse of a pale face and bloodshot eyes and felt a surge of alarm. "Are you all right?" she demanded, pushing forward. Jun staggered backward, clearly drunk, then fell on her butt in the wreckage of her apartment. The furniture had been turned to rags and twisted metal, the pictures torn down and even the walls scored by claw marks. Empty bottles littered the floor and pieces of broken glass crunched underfoot. "Sorry," Jun managed to get up, "you caught me at a bad time." "I'm sorry," Nadesico moved to support the other woman. She looked around at the destruction in awe, "What happened?" Jun sighed, feeling her system shrugging off the effects of the booze. "I got angry," she said grimly, realizing how much of a mess she was. "If this is angry I don't want to see furious," Nadesico quipped. Jun looked at her in shocked surprise then began to laugh. "No you don't," Jun agreed with a chuckle, finding the strength to stand on her own. She looked around the wreckage, "I'm sorry you had to see this." "It's all right," Nadesico hesitated, "I tried calling but..." Jun gestured to a pile of junk in the corner, "I think I thrashed the phone pretty early on." "I see," Nadesico looked around the ruined suite and knew her hope of taking Jun out tonight was wrecked. A firework whistled then exploded outside, filling the night with light as Jun winced. "What's going on?" she scowled. "The fall festival," Nadesico responded automatically. Jun mentally calculated the date then sighed, "Halloween, of course." "I remember it was called that," Nadesico realized she had dropped her costume bag and went to go pick it up. Jun smiled slightly as she saw the pink cat ears that were sticking out the top of the bag, "Planning to go out?" Nadesico confessed, "I was planning to ask you to join me." Jun raised her eyebrows at Nadesico, then looked around her suite. Now stone sober she knew she should clean up after her fit of irritation, but the silent appeal in Nadesico's eyes was compelling. "You want to change in the bathroom?" Jun offered with a faint smile, "I'll see what I can come up with." "Uhm, I actually brought something for you, too," Nadesico tentatively offered the bundle from her bag. Jun held up the red devil costume with little horns. "I'm not sure to laugh or be offended," she finally admitted. "Laugh, please," Nadesico blushed. Jun did laugh as she said, "Okay, I put myself in your hands." To be continued... Notes: Thanks to Strife for being a sounding board on this one. Mai Tokhia is from Mai Hime and she get's here as a direct result of my Mai Hime fic Revelations.
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