FIRESTARTER: PRE-DEVIL MAY CRY 3

Relax. Breathe. Turn around and pretend you didn't see anything. That's right, Lady. Take it easy on yourself.

Count to ten if you want. Remember those stupid Yoga classes you took.

Music in my ears. Coming from the left. A car coming around the corner. Time to get these feet moving! Shit. Come on, you little shit feet, move it.

But my hands sizzled, burnt like toast and the scarring flesh was just starting to heal. That's just wonderful. Tasty crisp flesh. Wouldn't the boys at the Gates of Hell just love this? Lady's pretty little hands all black and blue. Awww poor baby. And just when they would utter a few more condescending words my way, I'd slam a fucking arsenal of weapons down their throats.

Yeah. Talk shit to me.

But the car that came around the corner kept driving by in slow degrees. The contents of the automobile were young thugs, bandanas around their greasy heads and wearing dark expensive sunglasses. So fucking bold that they had their monkey arms swing back and forth outside the car window with a fistful of guns.

"Hey Baby!"

They called out with their jeers and sneers. They didn't even seem to notice the burnt flesh at my feet.

Another typical day at the baddest end of the neighborhood. Crime pays around here.

I took aim and shot at their tires, making them swerve and scream, "What the fuck! Bitch!"

Then with another aim, my one eye squinting, I hit the gas. BOOM!

I returned to my healing hands.

Fucking shit. Heal!

The body below me smoked. The smell of flesh stank. Try it sometime. Burn your finger.

No. Better yet. Burn your hair.

That stinks like a mother fuck.

Police cars could be heard a mile away. The clouds of smoke were climbing up to the sky.

I'm a trouble starter.

Shit. I should give a damn about the environment.

Then as if my feet obeyed me with an over delay, I made a run for it. Jumping up on the stairways of the alley ways, hopping over trash cans and stumbling over the homeless that made their homes underneath cardboard boxes, I didn't even notice that someone followed me.

My booted feet slowed to a stop. Each step resounded against the alley and wet pavement. My eyes turned to the left and right of me. There isn't a soul around yet my back felt prickly and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I looked down at my hands again. Bleeding fuckers. I burned that punk alive.

The music came in droves. And each step I took was taking me closer to the Gates of Hell.

The sign in neon flickered on and off and Sam worked the doors. He looked me over and shook his head.

"You're too much trouble, Lady. Get out of here."

"Let me in, Sam. I think I'm being followed."

"Your problem. Not mine."

Why not take out my gun on him? Besides, if I could take out a car load of thugs, why not another civilian who gets in my way?

Don't work that way.

A couple of guys I'm familiar with came out. "Hey, Lady! I'm glad you're here!" they looked at Sam and winked at him to let me in.

Sam grunted. He didn't really like me. I've caused one too many fights around here.

And I wasn't no sugar candied girl.

I'm a trouble starter.

"Thanks Tony." I said looking at the dark haired man who put his arm around my shoulders. I took it off non chalantly.

"Aww come on, Lady. You and me are friends right? You do some jobs and you get paid to take care of some undesirables so why do you not let me treat you like one of the guys?"

I laughed and looked over at the other guy, blond and pony tailed. He was part owner of the club but he liked me, I could tell.

"I doubt that you like me that way, Tony." Suggesting he liked guys.

But I doubt he got the joke.

Tony gave me a leering look, glancing up and down at my attire; black shorts, a white tight blouse, severely tied with a leather thick belt that held a bevy of ammunition and the gun hugging at my hip. My red boots to my dark head, I didn't like the way he looked at me but ignored it.

The other man surprised me, "I've got a surprise for you, Lady."

"Oh really? What?" the urge to reply with a smart remark was strong but I bit it back.

Sarcasm didn't fare too well with me.

"Demon at 12 o'clock."

I turned slowly, like some slow moving action film. Every scene of my face, the turn of my dark straight hair pushed back with the swing of the breeze that came in from the open door.

Man with silver hair and red suit.

If that's even a suit. What's he on? Drugs? No one wears red so blatantly like that. Unless he's Santa Claus.

Scratch that.

My eyes squinted. He was wearing a red leather jacket. He turned to allow me a view of his naked upper body. Rippling muscles I was expecting but instead got a glimpse of his smooth, yet muscular toned chest.

Not impressed.

"You allow people in here half clothed?"

They shrugged. Guess they didn't think it really mattered when the women in here that worked took their clothes off.

A customers a customer.

I wanted this man.

Like a predator stalking their prey, I walked with the sinew grace of a panther. I've learned early on that silence in footsteps and presence; you can get anywhere and hear everything.

As I neared him. I can smell him.

Raw. Intoxicating.

Demon. No. Devil.

But he was also human. I want him. And the only way I wanted any man with devils blood in his veins is dead.

Before I could reach for my weapon, he was on to me.

Gun at my face and my own weapon facing at his torso.

Slick move. Now what? I breathed a little too heavy. No one was this quick. Not even the stupid demons I hunt.

Just because he was half man would make him weaker, right?

"Lady, you've chosen the wrong guy."

Then with the audacity that made me angrier than I could imagine, he took a swig of whiskey from the counter and had the good grace to tip the waitress, dipping down the cold hard cash in her Décolletage, who walked by with a flirtatious smile.

"You have some nerve." I shot back disgustedly.

"Care to explain why you killed that man down the street."

Eyes widened. My lip curled. "Fuck you. Who do you think you are?"

"A Sparda."

JACKPOT!

There was a reason why I wanted him.

"You must have waited a lifetime looking for me." he boldly stated with a lop sided grin.

Cocky.

I'll shove that cocky attitude back down his......

He kissed me.

All I could do was make a stupid noise: MMMMmmmmm. Held fast against his mouth and body, I was sent spiralling downward, along with his strength under a table, then let go and started shooting.

The noise was unbearable. Bullets were hitting against chairs and tables, women were screaming and hiding. Bottles and glasses broke, shattering against the walls.

It took me a split second to realize that there were demons everywhere. And that Dante in his leather red jacket started using quick moves and turns, and in my dumb struck gaze saw sparks, quick as lightning, growls from two headed demons, women making more screams, tables upturned and broken in pieces.

His red jacket flew out from behind, reveal his solid sinewy back and tapered hips.

It was his hidden weapons that my interest went sky rocketing.

Before I could join in, it was finished.

Devastation could not even describe the scene.

Even Tony and the blond guy were hiding during the commotion.

Then he was gone.

My gun in my hand, my other hand ran a shaking finger to my lips.

What the hell? I think I just got a kiss and run deal.

Running out of the club, I could hear Tony and the guys screaming at my back telling me I had caused trouble again.

Dumb shits.

They want me to rid the bar of undesirables but if it had to be in the aftermath of destroyed property, I was responsible.

He was out there, on the rooftops, I just know it.

Making a flip onto a garbage can and piles of boxes, I managed to flip onto the roof and stumbled slightly at the sight of him.

He was waiting for me.

My fingers itched to wipe that smirk from his mouth, him standing there in his cocky self against the white of the moonlight.

I took aim and he deflected it as easily as any video game player with 500 hours of game play under his belt.

"You're the firestarter, aren't you?" he seemed to be amused at my own attitude.

"Would you like a starter test, son of Sparda?"

Lifting up my good hand, sparks combusted, creating a halo of red and blue flame, like those in chemistry class, hot and hotter flames playing in the almost healed fingers of my hand.

Then I threw a flame at him. Hoping to singe him and without any delay, took out my own guns and started shooting blindly, hoping to at least get a piece of leather from his jacket. Throwing my body against the ground I made a quick roll and then double flipped front forward onto the next roof as I saw him getting closer to me. His quick silver movements and the glint of silver of his hair blended with the moonlight.

"Taste this!"

And with a grip of a grenade between my lips, my teeth held and I pulled the cap off, throwing it in his direction.

The sound of police cars in the far distance made my ears perk up to the rest of the noise around me.

BOOM!

A cloud of smoke from the roofs debris, dust everywhere and the Devil walked casually up to me.

"Lady, you've got nerve." he chuckled, already at five feet distance.

"Oh yeah, well, you've got some balls to take whats not given to you."

With that, I pulled out my speciality. Netting gun that explodes a huge expansion of a net that encloses on the victim, trapping them inside like a dolphin in a tuna spidery like ensnarement.

Gotcha!

Clever Devil man. He spread out his dark wings, ripping the nettings easily. Magnificent.

In all my young years of hunting and killing off demons and like, this one was a beauty.

He had me in his hand like putty. Up close I could smell him. Dangerous.

"Little firestarter shouldn't go playing around where she's out of her league." he whispered against my ear.

My body tingled.

Stupid female hormones.

"Big half devils shouldn't think that every girl that crosses their paths lays down their heart." I smugly replied.

With that, I shot him where I felt his hard torso against my breast, feeling the blood soaking my white starched blouse.

He fell over the building.

We were higher than I thought. During our fight, we had jumped over several buildings, reaching heights that could make a person who feared heights double over and puke.

Steadily I looked over.

There was a fear in me that wished he didn't die so soon.

I would be highly disappointed.

But he was gone.

Pushing aside my dark hair behind my ears, I scanned the area and found no one within my view. Smoke was still rising from the car I had shot earlier. Police lights made part of the colors against the blue night.

He was out there.

And I wanted him so bad.