And here we are, the first part of the job Nero and Erza will be taking together. However, I would like to make the announcement and state that the rating for this story might change and become rated M. This would be due to some more explicit themes and a possible lemon later on with Evergreen as a one night stand. I might also do Volcana as she might be reappearing later on before settling with Erza as she and Nero are the main pairing.

But the rating could stay the same, but it might change. It really depends on what you all want.

Also, I'm going to make a small reference to my other story; Avengers May Cry. I'll leave it up to you to figure out what that is, but it will become a recurring object. Some people might call me lazy, but I disagree as I want there to be some small references to Nero's world so I figured this would be appropriate. Also, because what I have in mind, I really like and think it's cool.

Sorry, it took so long to update this story. I got sidetracked if you've been reading Godly Demon and just put this to the side for far too long. I'm sorry. I'll try to update this story more often, you guys don't deserve to be kept waiting for as long as I left you all.

Okay, answering some reviews from readers.

Freddytones: thanks for the love, I'm really glad you like the story. There will be some romance later on between Nero and Erza, but not for a while.

Helios: Don't worry, Dante will show up later on. Most likely after the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc.

xNightShroudx: Thanks for the reminder, I'll make sure to incorporate that little detail in later chapters.

Anyway, moving on to the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Capcom owns Devil May Cry and Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

Devil Tail

Chapter 16: Rolling Thunder Part 1

Magnolia, Fiore Kingdom

Early the next day, things were pretty quiet. The sun was climbing into the sky while some clouds dotted the blue expanse, floating freely as the winds carried them to places not seen by man or beast. It was looking to be a cool morning, not chilly, but the air had a somewhat chilled feel to it, but it wouldn't be long until the afternoon heat set in. But, just outside the town of Magnolia, it was nice to be outside for a change.

One person enjoying the coolness was Nero Sparda, Son of the Darkslayer, nephew of Dante the Devil Hunter, and Grandson to the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. The Demon Hunter was currently striding down one of the streets in Magnolia with the intention of meeting up with one wizard in particular at the Guild Hall. He wore his coat and had his sword strapped across his back, gun in its holster, and a glove covering his right arm with the sleeve rolled down.

While he might have revealed to Fairy Tail that he was one-quarter demon, the town still didn't know and to avoid causing any panic, the hunter decided it was simpler to wear a glove and just take it off in the guild where everyone knew about it.

Clothing aside, the demon hunter was heading to Fairy Tail Guild Hall, that was still under construction thanks to the attack from Phantom Lord several weeks prior. However, during his walk, Nero began to reflect on what happened yesterday, specifically after he beat Erza, the events that followed afterward and the one behind it: Ms. Evergreen. He'd admit, he found it weird that someone like Evergreen would just randomly ask him to accompany her and the Thunder Legion on a quest. It was also not lost on him that she was flirting with him, at least, until he made that comment about Laxus. The hunter snorted at the thought of Laxus; in some ways, he was like him, or at least when the hunter was younger and more of an asshole. But there was still a lot of be uncovered about him and the Thunder Legion. Which is why, after he went on a quest with Erza, he'd help them.

Speaking of the quest he was going on, during his conversation with Evergreen, he spotted the scarlet-haired wizard in his peripheral vision with what appeared to be a quest in her hand. Thinking quick, he essentially volunteered himself to head out on a quest Erza. It was no secret that Erza could be defensive about her team, but the expressions shared between Evergreen and her spoke of a little more, less than friendly relationship.

After finding out that Erza was really planning on asking him to join her on a quest, she explained what it was. Apparently, a town was under siege by lightning demons and the attacks were just getting worse and worse. Not one to pass up a chance to send some demons back to hell, Nero agreed to help her. But, almost immediately after, the platinum blonde was dragged off by the mage to help her pack for the trip. Safe to say, Nero would never make fun of how much stuff Dante takes with him during jobs.

"Holy fuck she has a lot of stuff," muttered the hunter to himself as he shivered a bit, "Girl can change armors on the dime and I'm willing to bet that extends to normal clothes. So why the fuck does she take literally everything she owns with her?"

'Let's not forget her little secret,' giggled Volcana within his mind. The hunter sighed as he scratched his nose while he felt his cheeks heat up.

About halfway through packing her things, Nero accidentally found a black leather book. Against his better judgment and the way he was raised, he decided to find out what was in the book, be it a diary or novel. Turns out it was neither.

The hunter shivered again as he groaned in discomfort, "Can't unread that," he muttered. Nero was by far from innocent, and to his hidden shame, he's delved into a similar area during his younger years. Barely into the book he found, the hunter came to the surprising discovery that the book was actually a smut novel.

When he found it and flipped through a few pages, Nero's reaction was to be expected: eyes widening, face turning red, a little dribble of blood fell from his nose which was hastily wiped away. Mercifully, he had put the book away just before Erza could notice him with it and safe to say he picked up the pace when it came to packing; wanting to bury that book and avoid finding anything else embarrassing. Sure enough, he decided to save as much time as possible and used his Quicksilver to speed up the process so that packing was done in an instant.

Showing her gratitude for the help, Erza thanked Nero by slamming his head in her breastplate, causing the hunter to blush and scratch his nose awkwardly. In his head, Volcana was giggling at his embarrassment but also at the mage's dirty secret. Thoughts aside, Nero couldn't help but feel a shiver travel up his spine, not from being cold but rather not wanting to incur Erza's wrath if she caught him with that book. There's a good chance she'd try to kill him.

Still, it surprised him that Erza, the Fairy Queen, was into that kind of thing. Something he was seriously not expecting.

'Though... if you think about it... It does explain a few things...,' input Volcana in a tone that was almost innocent, 'And it's quite kinky as well. Especially explains why she has her Seduction Arm-'

"Stop," stated Nero harshly. He didn't need those thoughts in his head.

Volcana complied as she went silent, not before he swore he heard some giggling from the demoness. Taking a few deep breaths, Nero calmed himself and returned back to the present. Despite finding out her dirty secret, Nero promised never to bring it up. He also made sure that Volcana would never say anything that implied such. He can be a jerk at times, but he would never stoop as low as exposing another person's secret. Not unless it was dangerous.

A few minutes later, Nero made it to the Guild Hall, more specifically the bar area. A few wizards were gathered around the Request Board, searching for specific job requests that caught their interest. He looked around, looking for Erza but found no sign of her.

"Weird," muttered Nero to himself, "Figured she'd be here by now."

Shaking it off, summing it up that Erza must just be late, he turned towards the bar. There, he spotted Lucy and Mirajane chatting with each other. The Demon Hunter thought he'd wait for his partner there. Heading over to them, he seated himself down next to Lucy, leaning Red Queen against the counter.

"Morning girls," greeted Nero smoothly.

"Morning, Nero," greeted both girls simultaneously.

"Hey, Nero," spoke up Lucy, noticing something, "Shouldn't you be heading out with Erza on your job?"

Without even needing to ask, Mira gave Nero a strawberry sundae. Something he introduced to them a little while ago and since then, has made it his usual. Glancing at Mira, he gave her smirk, "Thanks, Mira," said the hunter before turning to Lucy, "To answer your question, Erza said to meet her here. Figured we'd stop here first to get some sundae's before hitting the road."

"I still can't believe how hard she fell in love with that sundae of yours," commented Lucy, shaking her head.

*Flashback*

Nero was standing behind the bar working on something while several mages, his team at the front, stood on the other side. On the bar was several ingredients: ranging from strawberry's, whipped cream, milk, cream, and a tub of ice. He asked Mira beforehand for the mentioned objects, saying he was getting a bit tired of not having it.

"So what's this you're making, Nero?" asked Lucy, noticing the hunter making something.

"Just a little something from home," was all the hunter said as he glanced up at her briefly before returning to work. After a few moments, he got to work using the other ingredients, crushing a few strawberries into the ice cream mix to give it flavor while he kept a few left over.

A few minutes later, Nero finished what he was making and presented it to everyone. It looked like a sundae, with red ice cream, strawberry syrup, and some whipped cream on top.

"This is a strawberry sundae," informed Nero, knowing that some of them had some questions.

"Didn't you say that your uncle eats a bunch of these pretty often?" supplied Gray, recalling a story Nero told them about Dante.

"Yeah," nodded Nero as he folded his arms, "Guy ate these pretty often and if I'm honest, I can't blame him. They're pretty good."

He pushed the sundae towards Erza who was standing at the forefront of the gather wizards.

"Go on," gestured Nero.

"Me?" blinked the redhead in surprise, "I don't know, Nero. Perhaps-"

"It's a strawberry sundae, Erza," interrupted the hunter smirking, "Strawberry ice cream, with strawberry syrup, topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. If you turn down that, you're not Erza."

He smirked, having figured out that the might Erza had a particular weakness for Strawberries. And sure enough, the instant she heard 'strawberry', all vigilance immediately left her as she took the glass and spoon Nero supplied, taking a large spoonful. The second the red and white icy substance made contact with the mage's taste buds, Erza set the spoon down while everyone leaned in, curious to find out her reaction. Sure enough and surprisingly, the reaction came out as a very random and uncharacteristic girlish squeal, her eyes filled with hearts.

"IT'S SO GOOD!" She exclaimed gleefully, earning shocked expressions from everyone, minus Nero as he folded his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"What'd I say?" snorted Nero triumphantly.

"Whoa," Gray breathed, wide-eyed, "I've never seen Erza so…so…"

"Cheery?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Gray confirmed, "that."

Erza happily feasted on the sundae, though, she did it rather quickly, lost in the incredible and sweet taste of the ice cream treat. Which caused Nero to frown.

"You might wanna take it easy there, Erza," warned Nero as he gave her a warning look, "Eat it to fast and you'll get a-"

"CURSES! My head! It feels like it's going to explode!" groaned the redhead as she fell to her knees, releasing the empty sundae bowl and spoon to hold her head in pain.

"There it is," noted Nero as he leaned across the bar to look down, "Eat it to fast and you'll get a brain freeze."

"WHAT?!" the other wizards cried out.

"You mean her brain is actually frozen?!" Happy shouted; his face paling in horror.

"No," sighed Nero as he leaned back to fold his arms once more, "It's a headache you get when you eat or drink something cold too fast."

"Oh," they replied simultaneously.

*Flashback End*

Sure enough, Erza had fallen head over heels for the cold treat when Nero introduced it to the Guild. However, that didn't mean he wasn't protective of it.

"You really think it was so hard?" asked Nero as he stared at the blonde, narrowing his eyes slightly, "You insulting the sundae?"

Lucy squealed and waved her hands in a placating motion, "No, NO, NO! Of course not! I would never mock the sundae!" She yelled desperately.

It was no secret that Nero took his sundae's very seriously. She didn't want to be on the business end of Devil Bringer or forbid, Yamato.

However, she was taken by surprise when Nero startled chuckling, "I'm only messing, Lucy. Just a joke. But your reaction was pretty funny," stated the hunter as he was still chuckling.

"NOT FUNNY, NERO!" shouted Lucy as she narrowed her eyes at Nero while a vein throbbed on her forehead.

"It's pretty funny," defended the silver-blonde.

'It's objectively funny,' agreed Volcana within his mind.

As this was happening, Mira was giggling at the scene before her, "I think it's cute that Erza loves Nero's sundaes so much," a sly smirk formed as she shot Nero a playful look, "Keep it up, Nero, I think you might have Erza falling for you before you know it."

Nero's eyes went wide as he almost choked on his sundae, coughing up some of the contents. He took a second to catch his breath before looking at the girl, "What?"

Lucy tapped her chin in thought. Her face then brightened in realization as she turned to Mirajane with a sly smile, "Now that you mention it, Mira; Erza and Nero would make a great couple. Don't ya think?"

"I'm sorry, what?" demanded Nero as he looked at them in surprise.

'I wish I had a camera,' snickered Volcana, causing Nero to mentally frown at her.

"OH YES! Yes, they would be perfect for each other!" Mira squealed happily, "And with them going on that Reave's Point job, they'll have plenty of opportunities to be together."

"Alright, you guys are digging way too deep into this," stated Nero with a level tone, but internally, he was surprised by what he was hearing, "It's just a job, taking out demons. Not a romantic getaway where I can make a move on Erza."

Luy and Mira just giggled, which caused Nero to narrow his eyes cautiously, "What are you laughing at?"

"Do you know why Erza wanted you to go on that job with her?" asked Lucy, still giggling at his apparent cluelessness.

"She needed help taking out demons which we've established are resistant to magic, not to mention, I sort of used her as a scapegoat to get out of a job with Evergreen," answered the hunter.

"Yes, that's part of the reason." Mira explained, "But the main reason is that she wants to get a better understanding of you."

"And you know this, how?" deadpanned Nero.

"Woman's intuition," Mira winked.

'She's right you know,' added Volcana, 'You're the mysterious demon hunter from another world. Despite knowing about your general past, they don't know what you can still do.'

Nero looked up for a moment before letting out a sigh and shutting his eyes, "Alright, I guess that makes sense. If we're gonna be working together, best to know what your partner can do. Besides, it'll give me more of a chance to figure out what Erza can do." The hunter then moved to finish his sundae.

Mira nodded, and smiled teasingly, "I bet she also wants to see if you're her type."

The Son of the Darkslayer spat out another bit of sundae in a random direction, and went on another coughing fit, "You fucking bitch," swore Nero while the white-haired and blond-haired girls broke out into laughter at Nero's predicament and annoyed expression plastered on his face.

"Priceless, Mira! Priceless!" Lucy commended as she laughed.

Nero rolled his eyes as he quickly got over his surprise and composed, "Alright, laugh it up," he muttered, before changing the topic, "You seen Natsu, Happy, or Gray? Last I check, you guys are heading out on a job."

"We're here," announced Gray in a casual tone, causing Nero to glance behind Lucy and raise an eyebrow to see Natsu and Gray standing right behind her with Happy flying just above them.

The Celestial Mage almost instantly cried out in surprise, mainly from their sudden appearance. Her sudden freak out caused Natsu some confusion, "Something wrong, Lucy?" he asked.

"WHY'D YOU SNEAK UP BEHIND ME?! YAH TRYING TO SCARE ME TO DEATH?!" she shouted angrily at them.

However, from out of nowhere and before anyone could say a thing, a large barrel went sailing through the air and collided with Natsu's head, causing Nero frown. The Dragon Slayer collapsed to the floor groaning, a red bump on his head. The pink haired wizard seemed to be a magnet for pain, whether it was from Nero, Erza, or flying kegs.

"Saw that one coming," muttered Nero as he looked down at the mage. It was then, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a familiar redhead approaching the group, "Was wondering when you'd show up."

"Good morning, Nero," greeted Erza, causing the whole group to turn and face the mage in question, "Are you prepared for our quest?"

"Should be asking yourself that considering how much you're bringing with you," he quipped as he stood up from the bar and finished his sundae, "Thanks for the snack, Mira."

"No problem, Nero," nodded the white-haired barmaid.

After returning the nod, the hunter turned to face the Re-Quip Wizard and hooked his thumbs into his belt.

"So, we heading out, or what?"

About ten minutes later, Nero and Erza were now walking down the streets of Magnolia away from the Guild Hall. A few townsfolk they passed would sometimes stop and glance at the hunter, sending curious looks as Nero had never been in town for extended periods. However, he and Erza simply ignored them and continued on their way.

They had said goodbye to their other teammates and wished them good luck at Fort Term. The highly-adaptive duo was confident that Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy would be able to handle the job; after all, it was only a group of not-so-dangerous bandits.

So, the Demon Hunter and the armor-shifting mage were making their way on their own mission. Erza walked beside Nero with a strawberry sundae in a disposable cup in her hand. True to herself, she got all strawberry and was using a spoon to have her icy treat. Meanwhile, Nero was on her right, pulling the wagon that was completely crammed with suitcases.

He wasn't struggling in the slightest, but he still wondered why she needed all this stuff. It's not like they were moving to another country.

"Why do I have to pull the cart?" asked Nero glancing at the redhead, "Seen you do it plenty of times with breaking a sweat."

Erza slowly scooped up another piece of her sundae and ate, relishing the sweet taste. After swallowing the scoop, she answered him without glancing back, "It's your punishment for using me as an escape from Evergreen."

"Weren't you going to ask me anyway?" deadpanned Nero, "Besides, it's not like she's stealing me from the team. One job and that's it. Besides, it'll give me a chance to see if Laxus is all he says he is, or if he's just an asshole."

"Even so," stated Erza after eating and scoop, she looked back at the silver-haired hunter, "I wouldn't insult him so lightly. Laxus is one of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail. Any threat that he makes he is certainly capable of backing up."

"Have yet to see him do any of that," scoffed Nero, "besides, if the guy's as arrogant as I believe he is, it'll make it all the more fun for me. It's part of the reason why my uncle is so successful. He regularly insults demons and devils, gets them angry which leads them to make mistakes. If I do end up fighting him, I'd wager his pride will blind him."

Erza paused from her frozen treat and turned to Nero, studying his features keenly. It appeared that he has had his own experiences with insulting.

"Also, why the hell are you hassling me over slandering Laxus?" demanded Nero, as he cocked an eyebrow, "If the guy is as big of a jerk as I can gather, he's more than likely gone after some of the others at some point. And knowing you, you won't allow that and just attack him."

Erza turned away and slightly pouted her lower lip. She realized that Nero did have a point there; if Laxus did do as Nero said he would, then she surely would've challenged him. All the times she's heard Laxus talk so poorly of her "family" enraged her to no end.

"Point taken; you're far more perceptive than I believed. It's true, I would've challenged Laxus if he degraded anyone in the guild," Erza admitted truthfully.

"Then you can bet I won't stand for it either," stated Nero, "I bash my friends to keep them humble, not to be an asshole."

Later, the two arrived at Magnolia Station to catch a train, however, when Erza was getting their tickets, Nero noticed that their destination didn't match up with the name of the town where the job was supposed to be.

"Any reason why we're not going directly to the town?" asked the hunter as the Mage gave him his ticket and the two started to the platform where they would catch their train.

"I'm afraid that due to the storms surrounding Reave's Point, the train system has stopped all trains going in and out of the town," informed Erza shaking her head, "I'm afraid that the only way to reach the town is by car or walking."

"Great," sighed the hunter before he shook his head, "What's our time of arrival looking like?"

"Without any interruptions, we should reach Riverdale at around lunch where we'll get a magic mobile and arrive at Reave's Point later this evening," informed Erza, "Now I suggest we get to the platform, our train should arrive in a few minutes."

"Got it," nodded Nero and the two arrived at the platform where he and Erza waited just a few minutes before the train arrived.

To save time, the hunter decided to use Quicksilver and load all of Erza's luggage onto the train. As the time effect finished, the hunter dusted his hands off, saying it was no trouble and they were on a schedule. To say thanks, Erza gently slammed his head into her chest plate to show her appreciation. This had the result of causing Nero to blush and scratch his nose in a flustered manner. The wooden cart was also loaded onto the train by the station so they wouldn't have to carry everything when they reached their stop.

With everything all in order, the two boarded the train and took their place in a cabin where for the first part of their journey they'd spend their time. Inside the cabin, Nero and Erza sat across from each other, the hunter having unsheathed Red Queen to rest the massive blade against the seat with the tip digging into the floor slightly.

"Nero, I've been meaning to ask, where did you get Red Queen?" asked Erza, looking at the sword in curiosity. The hunter glanced at the mage for a second before looking back at the weapon. The mighty sword rattled against the wooden seat as the train started to pick up speed as it pulled out of the station.

"It was given to me by the Order when I used to work with the Order," explained Nero, "Due to my above average strength as most members were just normal humans and in my world, people don't have magical abilities or are incredibly strong like people here. So, the Orders' chief alchemist, Agnus, made Red Queen for me."

"I see," nodded the redhead mage, "I assume that due to the nature of your work, it is also far stronger than the average sword?"

"You'd be right," confirmed the demon hunter as he glanced at Red Queen, "in terms of durability, it's about as strong as a Devil Arm."

"Very impressive," complimented Erza.

"Yeah," chuckled Nero, as he gave the weapon and affectionate pat, "She is."

A few hours later, the train finally arrived at Riverdale. It wasn't anything special, just a small town where most people got off the train for a little break.

Exiting the train station and heading to the magic-mobile rental shop, Nero and Erza arrived at a small, white building, only about one level that stood alone from all the other shops in the town. Behind the building, in the back lot there dozens of magic mobiles, ranging in designs, colors, and models. When the two reached the store, Nero gave Erza an incredulous look.

"We're taking one of these?" asked Nero, glancing at the mage.

"As I said the other day, the railway was closed due to the storm," reminded Erza, "I'm afraid this is the only way into Reave's Point."

"Right," nodded the hunter before glancing back at the vehicles, "just thought we'd be driving something a little more... I don't know, flashy."

"The vehicles in your world are different, I assume," inquired the Armor Shifting Mage, tilting her head at Nero.

"You could say that," answered Nero.

Later, after Erza had paid the shopkeeper to rent a magic-mobile, she and Nero were now in the back lot searching for one that fit their requirements. It didn't take them long before they found one that would actually hold all her luggage.

It was interesting, at least to Nero. It looked like a 30s van, or at least, it had the body shape of a van, with the change of wooden wheels. Its paint job was white, with a red stripe along the side, and dark blue. The front had a steering wheel and a large bench and missing the driver's seat belt.

Since they were in a rush, Nero saved time by slowing down time. Using Quicksilver, he slowed down time enough to pack all of Erza's bags into the van's cabin. When he finished and changed back, Erza gently slammed his head into her chest-plate to show her appreciation, causing Nero to chuckle awkwardly and scratch his nose slightly. One problem, however, was that with cabin completely full, they couldn't bring Erza's cart with them. The rental shop owner said that he'd look after it until she and Nero returned.

As Erza took her seat behind the steering wheel Nero sat by her with only a foot of room between them. Erza removed the armored gauntlet on her left arm and then proceeded to place the magic-mobile's coupling on her wrist. As she did this, Nero was studying all the parts of the vehicle with interest.

"I have no idea how this works," stated Nero, "I can only assume this thing doesn't run off gas. Not like there are any stations nearby."

Erza turned to him and cocked an eyebrow, "Gasoline?"

"Right, everything here runs on magic," remembered Nero, mentally slapping himself, "Gasoline is basically a fuel source. Its a refined chemical found in the earth which is used to fuel vehicles and other things."

"Interesting," hummed Erza with curiosity, "I'm afraid we don't have anything like that here. Everything in Earthland, such as appliances, housing, and vehicles are all powered by magic."

"Kinda figured as much," commented the demon hunter, before his attention fell onto the device on Erza's left wrist. Noting the cable that was connected to a wire that ran to the undercarriage of the van, "So I take it that's how you power this?"

"Yes," nodded Erza as she took the clamp off and handed it to Nero to inspect, "This is the S.E. Plug. It draws the magical energy from within a person's body and uses it to power the engine."

"Wouldn't that drain your magic or something?" guessed the hunter, glancing between the mage and the device.

"Yes, it can if used excessively," nodded Erza, though adding that last bit. The Re-Quip Mage recalled when she put too much power into the Magic Mobile during the Lullaby incident and was nearly put out of commission when they went to deal with the Dark Guild, Eisenwald.

Nero glanced at the gauntlet, an intrigued expression on his face, "So what, you just put it on your wrist?" asked the demon hunter as he tried clamping the S.E. plug onto his left wrist. He didn't know what he was expecting, however, he was surprised when the vehicle rumbled to life.

Both Erza and Nero looked at each other in surprise, the Demon Hunter letting out a snort of amusement, "Guess Demonic energy works as well as magic," he commented while looking at his wrist.

"It would appear so," agreed Erza, "However, I believe I should power the vehicle."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, taking the coupling off and handed it to Erza; however, just before the mage could take the object, the plug suddenly shot towards Nero's right arm, clamping down on Devil Bringer's wrist.

The magic mobile roared to life before surging forward like a freight train. A large cloud of dust was left in its wake as it sped down the streets of the town, blowing right by several townsfolk who only saw a blur of red, blue, and white followed by a cloud of dust. In less than five seconds, the turbo-charged magic-mobile had already exited the town and was now driving on an empty dirt road. A trail of dust was being thrown up in the car's wake as it drove at a breakneck speed.

Both Demon Hunter and Mage were crushed back into their seats by the rushing wind and the sudden force of the car taking off. Everything around them was a blur, or at least, it was to Erza. Despite the magic mobile missing a speedometer, he could guess they were going around two and fifty miles an hour.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" shouted Nero over the rushing wind.

Erza fought against the strong wind and turned her gaze to the coupling, which was affixed to Devil Bringer, "Your... arm; it must be powering the vehicle!" shouted Erza.

"No shit!" replied Nero.

"Nero!" shouted Erza as she tried to reach the coupling, "at this speed, the magic-mobile will eventually fall apart! We have to disconnect the hookup from your arm, now!"

"I got it!" Nero grabbed the coupling and tried pulling it off, however, he found it wouldn't come off. He tried pulling again but found it wouldn't budge. He didn't want to pull too hard, otherwise, he might break it, then they would have a problem.

"It's not coming off!"

Erza's eyes had widened in shock, 'This is not good at all,' She thought.

The scarlet-haired beauty swallowed her panic, grasped the coupling, and lent her assistance to Nero. Both knights pulled against the coupling, but it still stuck. Erza grounded her teeth together and put more strength into her arms. When she did that, the hookup actually began to move a little.

Nero and Erza saw that they were making progress and pulled harder on the plug. Finally, the demon hunter had enough, "Fuck it!" swore the former Knight as he yanked it right off his arm.

The coupling came right off Devil Bringer, but, the second it came off, the van-like vehicle began to rapidly slow down until it came to a sudden halt. Thanks in part to the Law of Inertia, Nero and Erza were thrown out of their seats and into the air.

Acting on instinct, Nero reached out and pulled Erza into a tight embrace while in midair. After wrapping his arms around her, Nero oriented himself so that his feet hit the ground first, digging into the ground for several yards before his heels hit a ledge and knocked him off balance. Both he and Erza tumbled through the air, entering a small gorge where Nero smashed his head into a stone wall before both he and Erza hit the ground.

The two lay in on the ground, Erza was on top of Nero; who at the moment was unconscious from taking the hard collision with the wall, even he can get knocked out with a blow hard enough to the head. Erza groaned lightly, feeling a bit of pain wash over her. Titania felt a bit woozy, despite that Nero had shielded her from the initial impact.

However, at the moment, Erza felt a moist sensation on her lips. When her brown eyes fluttered open, they instantaneously widened in shock.

Erza was lying on top of a knocked out Nero with her lips touching his!

She immediately separated her lips from his and crawled away, putting a few meters of distance between them. Erza's face turned several shades of red as she sat on her knees with her arms folded over her armor chest. The redhead couldn't believe what had just happened. She'd actually kissed him, even though it was unintentional and purely by accident.

The Fairy Queen felt her heart-rate increase rapidly while she began to inwardly freak out over the incident. Subconsciously, Erza subtly touched her lips; her expression shifting into deep thought.

Erza had to admit, the feeling she experienced when their lips were together felt quite…enjoyable. She immediately shook her head from that thought, 'Pull yourself together, Scarlet! Do not think like that! It was only an accidental kiss…nothing more,' Erza berated herself; nevertheless, her heart still continued to beat quickly.

"Gah, fuck... ow," swore Nero as he came around, holding the back of his head with his left hand, grimacing as he shook himself slightly, "That hurt."

After shaking his head a bit more, and checking to see if he cut himself from the impact, Nero glanced at Erza, who was still staring off in a random direction with a slightly panicked expression on her face. The hunter cocked an eyebrow at the wizard.

"Hey, Erza," spoke up Nero, standing up and moving over to her. He knelt down beside the redhead and placed his right hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently, "You good?"

The redhead was snapped out of her musings and turned her gaze to Nero. Upon seeing him she looked away, the blush on her cheeks intensifying.

"Huh…oh…um –yes!" she stammered awkwardly, causing the white-haired hunter to arch his eyebrow even further, "Yes, I'm fine."

"Right...," replied Nero, unconvinced, "Any particular reason you're blushing?"

"I am not blushing," Erza snorted while she closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest-plate.

"And Natsu's Gray's best friend," countered the hunter as he stood up. He then held out his right hand for Erza, which she took. Nero pulled the mage to her feet, "Didn't see that coming. Thing just latched onto my wrist and, well, we know the rest."

"It's alright, Nero," replied Erza as she dusted her skirt off, "You didn't intend for that to happen."

An impish grin then spread across her face, "But for future note, I believe it would be best if I were to fuel the vehicle."

"Probably," agreed Nero with a smirk, "Let's head back to mobile, make sure every thing's..."

The hunter trailed off as his gaze fell on something within the gorge. Erza took notice of this.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, but I think there's something here," replied Nero as he started heading deeper into the rock formation. Erza followed him, curious as to what he was heading towards. Traveling for about a minute, the two members of Fairy Tail found what Nero had spotted.

It appeared to be a magic mobile, but not like any Erza had seen. For starters, it was much sleeker in shape as compared to other magic mobiles, lower to the ground and much wider. It had four headlights in the front, a closed off section for the driver and passenger. Instead of wooden wheels, it appeared to have a sort of rubber coating. The back appeared to have a sort of fin that rose up a few inches, held up by two prongs.

"A magic mobile?" said Erza after a moment.

"That's not a magic mobile, Erza," corrected Nero, his tone slightly excited approaching the vehicle, a wide grin on his face, "It's a 1972 Plymouth Roadrunner, or at least what's left of one."

"You know what that is?"

"Yeah, this is a vehicle from my world," he confirmed, "Remember when I told you about gas? Well, this is one of the vehicles that ran off that."

"You seem very interested in this vehicle," noted the Re-Quip mage with a slightly bemused tone.

"That's because in my world, they don't make these anymore. They're out of production," explained the hunter.

"But how does a vehicle cross over into other worlds?" asked Erza.

"Probably the same way I did, through a portal," suggested Nero as he stepped back, "Over the years, tons of vehicles have vanished in strange areas like the Bermuda Triangle. Guess it just got sucked into one such portal and wound up here."

"Perhaps," agreed the redhead, however, her tone turned a bit more serious, "But we can't stay here any longer. We have a quest to complete."

"Right," remembered Nero as he stepped away from the vehicle, but gave it one last glance before following Erza out of the gorge.

Heading back to the magic-mobile, the hunter checked the entire vehicle for any damages. Working as a car mechanic part-time was paying off quite well in this situation. Sliding out from underneath the vehicle, Nero stood up.

"Suspensions good, brakes good, frames good, wheels might be a little worn, and the engine itself was put under a lot stress real fast," listed the hunter, "but all in all, it should run just fine."

"That's good to hear," nodded Erza, "The townspeople of Reave's Point need our help."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," smirked Nero.

They sat down on the front bench and made sure to buckle their safety belts. Erza clamped the hookup onto her left wrist, which started the vehicle. The two powerhouses resumed their drive down the dirt road, only this time they traveled at a normal speed.

A moment of silence passed by and, for Erza, it was awkward. With her free hand, she subtly touched her lips again. The memory of the little accident was still fresh on her mind and wouldn't leave. She still remembered the sensation she had experienced when her had lips touched Nero's, despite how short-lived it was.

'What is wrong with me? Why can't I just forget it?' Erza pondered, 'It was only an accident! So why am I thinking so much of it?'

Nero, who was watching the landscape pass by, noticed from the corner of his eye that Erza was touching her lips. Turning to her, he saw the thoughtful expression plastered on her face.

"Something on your mind, Erza?" asked Nero suddenly.

"Uh…y-yes, I'm fine," she stammered, taken slightly by surprise when he spoke up, "No need to worry."

"When we were thrown into the air a while ago, you wrapped yourself around me and took the impact for me," the scarlet-haired warrior switched topics, mainly to keep herself from saying something stupid, "Though I am touched, why did you? You know that I am very durable and I could've handled it."

"Call it 'heat of the moment,'" shrugged Nero, scratching his nose slightly, something Erza picked up on, "I tend to prioritize the safety of others over my own. So I just did what I had to make sure you didn't get hurt."

"Thank you, Nero," Erza smiled, touched by his chivalry and concern for her well-being, "Though it was unnecessary, I still appreciate it."

Erza took his head and gently slammed it into her chest-plate. Nero pulled back with a red, flustered face. She seemed to be making a habit of this.

"Uh, right… no problem," He chuckled nervously, "We're friends; we look out for each other."

Another moment of silence went by, but this time it wasn't the awkward kind. As they drove down the path, Erza couldn't help herself but replay the sensation of her lips on Nero's again. She inwardly scolded herself, telling herself to just drop it; however, she just couldn't.

Her face turned a light shade of red from the memory, which Nero quickly noticed.

"Erza," spoke up Nero, "You're blushing again."

Erza closed her eyes while her grip tightened on the steering wheel, "I am not!" she stated firmly.

"Uh-hu," responded her partner completely unconvinced, "So your face is always nearly the same color as your hair?"

"I am not blushing," she reaffirmed stubbornly, "You're just seeing things."

"Right," snorted Nero, bemused by Erza's behavior, but also a little confused.

The two continued their journey to Reave's Point, driving a decent speed.

Erza made sure to monitor the amount of her magical energy she put into the magic-mobile. She didn't want to be drained by the time they got to Peony.

To pass the time, Nero and Erza discussed various things. However, the main topic that Nero brought up was Laxus and the Thunder Legion. While he did know a little about them through conversations with other members of the Guild, there was still not much he knew. So Erza told Nero more about Laxus and the members of the Thunder Legion, who happened to be Laxus's personal bodyguards.

"So Evergreen was acting all chummy to try and get me to join the Legion?" surmised the hunter.

Erza nodded, "Yes. It must've been her way of trying to convince you to join."

"Well, guess I gave her some satisfaction when I agreed to do one job with them," huffed Nero.

"I do wish to ask you about that," responded Erza, glancing at Nero carefully, "Why did you agree to join them for a quest later on?"

"At the time, it was mainly to get her to leave me alone," shrugged Nero, before a serious expression, "but also to see if what I've heard about Laxus is true. I want to know who I may be working with."

Erza narrowed her eyes carefully, something Nero took notice of.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Erza, I've got no plans of leaving any of you guys," chuckled Nero, "It's something I've been considering doing. Now that I'm working at a guild, I want to know how everyone works, and the only real way to do that, is if I give them a shot on jobs. Test the waters if you will."

The redhead's expression softened as she realized this was true. Ever since joining the guild, Nero has only worked with her, Natsu, Gracy, Lucy, and Happy; no one else. It made sense to want to know how others work and complete jobs in the future.

"Right, I am sorry," apologized Erza.

"You're not going to get rid of me that easy," chuckled Nero.

A few moments past between the Devil Hunter and Re-quip Mage. It was then Nero heard the rattle of a suitcase in the back of the van. The luggage actually brought one question to mind for Nero.

"Erza."

The scarlet-haired warrior turned to her green demon-armed companion, "Yes?"

"Any reason you brought all this stuff with you when you can just change armors and regular clothing in a snap?" asked Nero, wondering about the amount of luggage, "Seems a little pointless with your abilities."

Erza shrugged and smiled, "I just feel more relaxed bringing all my belongings with me."

"To each their own, I guess," shrugged Nero, "So what's your favorite thing to re-quip into? Like which armor or outfit do you like wearing the most?"

"Hmm…," Erza hummed as she tapped her chin in thought. After a moment, she slyly grinned, "I suppose my bunny suit would have to be my favorite."

"Wait, what?" blinked Nero, hearing the words 'bunny suit'. A part of him had an inkling as to what that might be, "Bunny suit? The heck is that?"

Erza turned to him and, surprisingly, gave Nero a coy smile, "I'll show you later," she winked.

Nero couldn't help but feel some blood rush to his face, the sensation of anticipation growing inside him. He was by no means a pervert, being raised better than that, but he was still a guy. A warm-blooded teenager at that.

"So, Nero Sparda," started Erza, "out of your weapons, which is your-"

The redheaded wizard was suddenly cut off when the two guild members heard the crack of thunder in the distance. Both of them looked up at the sky and sure enough, the clouds were a very dark gray. Brief flashes could be seen through the cloud cover, as well as distant streaks of lightning that crashed down.

"Looks like we're getting close," noted Nero, his expression turning grim.

"The quest description did say that a storm was plaguing the town, but I did not expect it to be so severe," stated Erza in mild surprise.

"I think we can thank the demon for that," stated the hunter.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some demons can affect their surrounding environments slightly with just their presence," explained Nero, glancing between the storm and Erza, "Unusual weather and climate change can sometimes be the result of a demon coming to our world. Depending on how powerful a demon is, the changes can be minor to near-apocalyptic. A lightning storm in an area that doesn't normally have them is one such change."

Erza's eyes widened slightly at that.

Hearing that a demon can alter its surroundings by merely being present. It was a frightening thought and a testament to how serious this quest had become for them. The two warriors drove into the storm, flashes of lightning streaked across the sky while thunder boomed in the distance.

Reave's Point, Mountain Ridge

To the north of the two was a small mountain range that overshadowed the entire area. It was a woodland area with some clearings dotting the side of the mountain. Normally, forest creatures could be seen scurrying through the trees and vegetation, but not now. Ever since the storm had come, the entire forest seemed almost deserted.

Or at least, by the native animals.

A massive figure stalked its way to the ridge, looking down on the village. A shadow obscured it from view, but the brief flashes of lightning illuminated the beast for just a second. It had the body shape of a wolf, except far larger than any wolf native to Earthland or Nero's world.

A low growl rumbled from the beast before it threw its head back and let out a massive howl. Lightning flashed as the creature let out its unearthly cry.

The howl was then returned by a powerful screech, coming from in the clouds. Green electric flashes danced within the clouds as a beast flew among them. It's entire body crackling with electricity. It let out a piercing shriek as lightning shot out to meet the creature.

To Be Continued...