Okay so this story takes place BEFORE the events of the game. Back when Nero had two normal arms, before that whole demonic arm thing. This will have Nero/Kyrie in it but I wanted to show more of Credo too. I think he's an underused character and i wanted to explore his relationship with Nero, Kryie and the Order.

Onwards!

With a snort and a groan, Nero rolled over onto his back, his arms clopping on either side of the narrow bed he was laying on.

The quarters of the Knights of the Order of the Sword did not live in glamorous quarters. Anywhere else and their home quarters would probably have been a monastery, housing for the pious. Of course in Fortuna it was their headquarters. Still it was a crowded place, Nero had been in closets before that were bigger than the room he called 'home'. Beyond a narrow bed, closet and a desk that was used for weaponry rather than books, nothing would fit in the room. Still as a Knight of the Order, Nero didn't have a whole lot of material needs and certainly none that required an excess of space. The room suited him just fine, especially because he, unlike most of the others, got to have a window.

There was an ancient alarm system that ran through the Order's housing, a series of bells that in Nero's opinion were far louder than they had any right to be. Fortunately they were loud enough to wake even the dead and certainly a young man whose sleep had been compared to a comatoase state. Of course Nero also happened to sleep with his headphones on, music blasting loud enough to echo through his room and, thanks to the Order's less than thick walls, the rooms on either side of him. But those damn bells would get through even the loudest of music. Nero didn't mind, the music wasn't to keep out the obnoxious chime of bells, it was to keep out something else.

So when the bells echoed through the Order, Nero's eyes bleerily opened. All the training in the world and he was pretty sure he'd still hate waking up. Groaning he pushed himself up, his hands pulling the headphones off his ears. He could still hear the music combined with the obnoxious echo of the bells. Reaching out he hit the pause button on his music player, silencing the device as his eyes moved around the room, looking at the door. Normally by now he would have been through it, running towards the problem but not this time. He'd been on suspension for the past week. He'd been a total idiot and taken a stupid risk which would've been enough but in addition he'd also taken a serious injury to his forearm. His grip still wasn't what it should have been.

Still a bell was a bell. Pushing himself to his feet he grabbed a shirt and threw it on, foregoing his usual coat in favor of just his red hoodie. He tugged on his boots and looped his headphones around his neck. He left the sleeves down, covering his forearms before he walked out of his door into the hallway. It was deserted, all the Knights who had been on call were obviously already fighting whatever the problem was. Locking his door behind him, Nero walked down the hallway towards the main part of the building, intent on finding Credo. If nothing else Credo would at least confirm that he wasn't needed for the situation. And if Credo let him go then the situation would be especially dire. Still, something about the place wasn't right. Usually there would be one or two Knights milling around. Now there were none, as if everyone had been thrown at this mission.

"Credo?" he called looking around, "Credo where are you?" he looked around, heading to the main part of the Church, "Credo?"

"I want the primary reports and battle damaged now," Nero turned towards the sound of Credo's voice, "there are enough men out there to find a needle in a haystack, why can they not find her and the boy?!"

"We are doing our best--"

"Your best isn't good enough!"

Nero broke into a run down the long hallway. There was only one thing that could put Credo on such an edge in front of other people, in front of his subordinates and that was Kyrie. And if Kyrie was in trouble--Nero forced the thought back, his injured hand curling into a fist as he ran. It still hurt to make a fist, how the hell was he going to hold a sword with any kind of success? Everything in him told him to go back to his room, to not even attempt the fight. And yet he ran onward, bursting through the half closed doors to the room where Credo stood with two men. They all turned and looked at him as he stood there, catching his breath. Credo glanced at the two men, both of whom were looking at Nero with the same disdain that many of the Order looked at him with.

"Go back to your room Nero," Credo said shortly.

"The hell I will! What's going on? Where's Kyrie?"

The two men traded looks before turning their eyes to Credo. Credo glanced at them before looking back at Nero. His eyes moved quickly to Nero's loose hand, as if he could see the muscle and tendon damage with his bare eyes alone, though they both knew he could not. Taking a deep breath, Nero took a step forward, moving away from the door in defiance of Credo's orders. The two men were obviously not happy but Credo seemed to have had enough of their anxious gazes and shifting bodies.

"Get out," he said, "and do not return until you bring me news."

They bowed and quickly were gone, leaving the two of them alone.

"Where's Kyrie?!" Nero repeated loudly.

Credo sighed and looked at the man standing in front of him. His hair might have been white, hell his eyes might have been like silver but Credo didn't think he had ever met a more hot headed man in his life. Hot headed and injured to boot. Neither was something he wanted on a battlefield, neither was something he particularly trusted on a battlefield. Though when it came to Nero, Credo had learned very long ago that the only thing to trust was that whatever he thought was going to happen wouldn't. Oh the job would get done but it would get done in an extremely violent and destructive way. If there was a building, there'd be damage and an artifact would be broken--especially if it had the word priceless in its description. But bystanders wouldn't be hurt and, of course, the demons would be destroyed.

Credo glared before turning back to the table in front of him.

"Where is she?!" Nero roared, his voice echoing in the space as he stepped forward, anger flaring in his eyes, "tell me where she is!"

"Control yourself, Nero," he snapped, "we have enough trouble as it is without you loosing all semblance of control," he strode over to the silver haired man, "you are injured as it is and I will not be sending you out to fight demons when you cannot even hold a weapon."

"You really think that's going to stop me?" Nero demanded, "she's out there, I know she's out there. So the only question that's left is whether I tear the shit out of Fortuna looking for her or you save us both a lot of time and the Order of lot of money and tell me where she is."

"Or perhaps I should simply chain you up," he said, "you are injured and worried. I do not need you storming out onto the battlefield like some hot headed novice and getting more people--including yourself--killed."

Nero clenched his fists as he looked at Credo, hating that he had a valid point. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that because Credo hadn't denied it, Kyrie had to be involved in whatever was going on. Especially because Credo had sent out almost all the Knights. Credo was a good General, no he was a great general but he was human none the less and right now he was a very worried older brother. For a moment Nero felt almost guilty for worrying him further but he pushed it down. This wasn't about him, nor was it about Credo, it was about Kyrie. Stubbornly he walked forward further, closing the distance between himself and Credo. The table was bare of reports, only a map of Fortuna and the surrounding area. Nero glanced down, looking at the marked out area on the map as surreptitiously as he could before he looked up at Credo.

"You're right, I'm injured," he said holding up his hands, "I'll just go back to the room," he backed out towards the door.

"Do you really think I did not see you look at the map?" Credo questioned. Nero shifted slightly, "Kyrie was last seen just outside the marked region. We cannot find her but reports have come in of a heavy demonic presence there."

"And Kyrie's there?" Nero demanded, his mind one track.

"Possibly," Credo said, "she left this morning informing someone that she was going to be collecting herbs."

"Herbs grow all over those woods! She's probably there," Nero said straitening up.

"Yes and Knights from the Order will ensure her return," he said.

"Yeah, in pieces! I can get her back before any of them reach her!"

"Do you really have such little faith in your comrades?" Credo demanded glaring at him.

"When it comes to Kyrie!" he objected. Credo glared at him. Nero slammed his hand down on the table, "damn it we're wasting time! She could be hurt by now!"

"Yes and I will not add your body to the count," he said, "do you truly think that she would want you to injure yourself further for her sake?"

Nero glared at him, hating that there was more than a little truth in his words. He didn't care though. Not when it came to her, not when it came to Kyrie. He didn't care how bad badly he was injured, nor did he care how badly he would get injured. Just so long as Kyrie was safe--that was all that mattered. He looked at Credo and then at the map, his fist clenching tightly. They both knew that one way or another, Nero was going to be on the battlefield, all that remained to be seen was if he would be there on Orders or not. Credo glanced at the map and then at the younger man before giving a curt nod.

"Your sword is in the third armory," he said, "I suggest you take a lighter blade but--" he trailed off knowing it was probably not going to make a difference as Nero turned and raced from the room, "take that gun with you!" Credo shouted after him, catching just a glance of Nero holding up the aforementioned weapon.

Credo turned back to the map, his hands tightening into fists as he looked at the marked out area. There were marks to represent the current estimate of demons in the area, though there were probably many more by now.

What was not marked on the map was the secret Order lab that rested in the heart of that area.

Nero's injury is NOT, I repeat NOT the one that gives him the freaky arm, that's coming.

R&R please!