Taste of Madness

2 | Normality?

[Normality?]

Normality.

Now that wasn't a word that Jebediah had heard much throughout his life in the madness-driven wastelands of Nevada. Kuoh just happened to be a paradise for him, no need for any conflict, living in a quiet town with no interruptions.

Well... almost no interruptions.

"Please! Make it stop already!"

He sat quietly at a lone table, sipping his afternoon coffee. As much as the savior wanted to believe the area surrounding him was quiet and peaceful, he couldn't be far from the truth. The screaming of the brunette boy behind him was enough to mess with the inherent silence that his spot would've usually gifted the savior.

"I don't know why- ouch!" The boy squeaked out, "Just help me plea- ouch!"

Jebediah slid on his sunglasses, hoping to just signal to the boy that he wasn't trying to help.

It only caused the brunette to scream louder, "C'mon man! Help a fellow guy out!"

Guess the savior wasn't allowed to stand around, as he quickly made his way back to the chaotic mess that was the kendo club completely obliterating the perverted brunette. He quickly used unnoticeable telekinesis along with swift reactions in order to grab the student.

Jebediah looked towards the group, "You beat the poor guy enough, I'll turn him in."

"But-" A member of the club tried speaking, only to be interrupted.

"What If I apprehend you instead, for assaulting the young lad?"

"..."

"Then our problems are solved." He spoke with a tone of finality.

While the commotion was solved by the newly named Jebediah Christoff, the redhead known as Rias Gremory happened to watch from above. Impressed on how efficiently, and stealthily he managed to use his powers in order to stop a conflict, without any form of violence... apart from the kendo club wailing on the brunette.

---
Three hours later...
Kuoh Academy
3:30 PM
---

Jebediah walked in the vast hallways of Kuoh Academy, trying to make it to his next class in time, so he doesn't have to do unneeded extra work. But just when he turned the corner, he felt someone tap him from behind.

"Hey!" The brunette exclaimed, "You're the guy that left me to get beaten senseless by the kendo club!"

"And I was also the one who saved you." The savior seemingly deadpanned behind his shades.

"Oh yeah." The boy mumbled, "But anyway, I gotta thank you for the save back there."

"It was nothing really." Jebediah shrugged, "You most likely deserved the first half, however."

The brunette had a fake-hurt expression, "Man, you're cruel!"

The savior cleaned his shades, "I'm just going to head out before things go ballistic."

"Wait a second!" The boy exclaimed, "What's your name?"

'The hell is with people asking about my name?' Jebediah thought to himself before replying to the brunette in front of him, "Name's Jebediah Christoff, or Jeb if you roll like that."

"Nice to meet ya, Jeb!" The brunette smiled, "My name is Issei."

"As much as I want to talk, I really need to get to class." Jebediah frantically spoke.

"But-" Issei tried talking but was interrupted by Jeb running away.

"Hey! I wasn't finished talking to you!" Issei tried running after Jebediah.

The savior quickly rounded a corner and was out of sight, "Too bad!"

Once Jebediah made it to the classroom, he quickly went to his seat, which caught the attention of several other classmates within the area. The savior quickly rested his shades on his forehead as the teacher and other students came in in the nick of time. From there on, it would just be another boring lecture, along with the occasional classwork.

The sun could be seen lower than from its noon peak, the clouds seemingly creating a wavelike pattern in the sky, as if a smaller version of the milky way itself had decided to somehow make its appearance in the Earth's atmosphere, the seemingly orange light made its way through the school windows, seemingly creating a new atmosphere within the classroom, the various chatter coming from the students only supporting the newly created atmosphere.

"I never really get to see stuff like this in Nevada." Jebediah mused to himself while taking off his shades, only to be interrupted by the sound of students rushing out of the classroom, and took it as his cue to leave.

The chatter in the hallways fit the mood of excitement from the apparent fact that school was over with for the day, and the students were allowed to go back home and rest for the time being.

He slid on his signature shades, grabbed his backpack, and took off for the front gate.

Normally, he could simply make his way out, but he was interrupted by another voice.

"Hey!" Out of everyone, it had to be Issei.

Jebediah tried talking his way out of the conversation, "Can we not do this now?"

"No, I've got something to tell you." Issei continued, "We're pals, right?"

That just confused the living hell out of Jebediah, the two only met as Issei was getting completely dominated by the Kendo Club, and to add on to that, the two only met today, and he's already acting all buddy-buddy with him? It was either Issei was just extremely friendly, or mentally lacking... the latter most likely.

"Wait a second." Jebediah was in thought, "Since when were we pals?"

"Ever since you saved me from the Kendo Club." Issei grinned, "Who else would've saved me from those demonic ladies!"

The savior chuckled, "A decent human being?"

Despite being a killing machine back in the madness-driven wastelands of Nevada, even the false Jesus Christ could crack a good laugh once in a while. Even if the person standing in front of him was a hormone-driven teen...

Issei's expression turned serious, "But seriously, you gotta hear me out."

"Just make it interesting." Jebediah sighed, "I have to overdose on some caffeine, you know."

"I have a girlfriend!" Issei cheered.

Jebediah seemed skeptical, but chose to accept it, "Don't know you well enough to react."

The brunette seemed disappointed, "I was expecting some shock or at least some support."

"I don't even know you enough though, why don't you just ask your friends?" Jebediah replied while shrugging his shoulders, "That's assuming you have any, based on your reputation here."

"That's just cruel!" Issei seemed to appear hurt, "Of course I have friends!"

Jebediah simply shrugged, "Who are they?"

"Motohama and Matsuda, men of culture."

Even Jebediah shuddered at that statement, he did not want to know what Issei meant by his friends being men of culture. If he was this down bad, Jebediah wondered how much more would Issei's pals be that way.

"Well, I have to go." Jebediah sighed, "You have anything else to tell me?"

"Issei-san!" A feminine voice could be heard approaching the two boys.

Quickly turning his head to the source of the voice, an unnatural drop of sweat made its way down Jebediah Christoff's face. The red hue in his eyes seemingly penetrating his shades, before retreating back.

What was the reason he was so unnaturally weary?

The girl that approached the duo of boys seemingly looked pretty normal, albeit really good-looking. She donned a different school uniform that didn't belong to Kuoh Academy, mainly due to the fact that the uniform was decently covered, unlike the Kuoh Academy uniform. The uniform managed to highlight the more curved parts of her upper body, along with her brown hair and oddly colored eyes.

But what really stood out, was that seemingly threatening and dangerous aura leaking from her.

It wasn't like that sociopath, the clown, or the shadowy figure he had faced before.

It was definitely not raw uncontrolled madness...

It seemed like the opposite side of the spectrum, a calm and collected storm of madness, ready to burst in like an explosion and retreat as if it never existed. He could most likely credit that to his experience in hell incarnate.

"You know who she is?" Were the five words that left the savior's mouth.

"This is Yuuma!" Issei exclaimed, "She's my smoking hot girlfriend!"

Issei continued, "Yuuma, this is Jebediah, a pal of mine."

The newly introduced Yuuma and Jebediah simply eyed each other awkwardly, as if they were sizing each other up before a big destructive fight broke out. Both of them seemed uneasy around each other, Jebediah's nexus energy seemingly intercepting the malice-filled aura leaking from the newly introduced Yuuma.

As much as he hated making assumptions... this could potentially be very dangerous for innocents in the town, and potentially might cause another madness event.

"You know what..?" Jebediah finally spoke, "I think I've got to go."

"Aww man, what a bummer." Issei sighed, "Well, at least I get more time to prepare for our date tomorrow, right?"

As Jebediah left the scene, one lone thought entered his mind.

"Tomorrow?"

END OF CHAPTER 2

A/N: After some time, we're back on the writing spree.
Be sure to comment on any mistakes so I can fix them now, and not later!