Devils Of the Soul
Disclaimer: We own neither Capcom's amazing Devil May Cry series, or Atlus's epic Persona series. Any songs, characters, etc are also the properties of their creators, barring any original ideas we throw into the mix of course. We just play in their world, same as anyone else that's ever written fanfiction. :D
Also, MASSIVE SPOILERS for Persona 3, 4, and 5, as well as most of the Devil May Cry series, abound, so don't say we didn't warn you. :P
Authors' Notes: Vergil1989: Couple of quick things before we begin. Personas will be augmenting the physical attributes of the Protags so they're able to keep up with their demonic opponents to some extent, but they won't be able to withstand attacks from truly horrendously powerful demons like Mundus without pulling out the god killing Personas they have in their arsenals. Also, since there isn't enough information to determine WHERE certain cities are in the various games and such, these first several chapters will likely entail having to bend canon a fair bit, don't expect this to be a mere 'retelling with extra characters' kind of story, OR a story where the extra characters actually take over the narrative. We do however plan to make changes that make sense as the need arises, both with the actual story, and with whatever things our three heroes bring simply by existing, let alone anything they do from here once they get into the swing of things.
That aside, enjoy the ride everyone! As for why this got started at all, we actually came across a story called WILD CARDS over on . Couple that with the massive amount of hype I have for the new DMC 5 coming out in March, barring any further delays, and I'm sure you can understand why this has been created in the first place. SO, without further delay, let's get this party started!
Mission 1 P1: Butterflies and Bullets
.45 Caliber 'Warks'
Redgrave City
Three years before DMC 3...
Nell Goldstein was a crotchety old woman as far as her neighbors were concerned. Her granddaughter, Nico, knew better, but then again, it was hard to stay grouchy with the seemingly inexhaustible ball of energy underfoot anytime the girl decided to drop by with her mother. Agnus, her father, if one could call the scientist an actual human being given what Nell had heard of late regarding the man and the Order he served, might've been her stepson by marriage, but that didn't mean Nell liked having the bastard anywhere near her family. Luckily he was too busy doing his research, deep inside the Order's fortress, far from her and her loved ones.
That didn't mean Redgrave City was much safer though, not with all the slowly increasing demonic activity rearing its head these days. It used to be someone could walk down the street without potentially running into at least one demon in human skin, (sometimes that idea was taken literally since some weren't able to transform themselves, thus they were forced to wear a dead human's flesh), but these days she was lucky to go a week without seeing at least one such entity making the rounds on darkened street corners and in graffiti covered alleyways, waiting for unwary prey to fall into their dark embrace. Most of them knew better to keep their heads down when Dante, or as Nell knew him, Tony Redgrave, was in town.
As for why she was sitting in her workshop, staring out the large glass windows that dominated the front of her gunsmith's otherwise stone facade, the old woman had her gaze on a mystical sight that had no place in the gothic styled city that she'd known for most of her life. A shimmering, blue prison cell door that was attached to no building, yet no one else seemed to notice its unusual presence as they went about their day. Even the demons that she knew about that yet lived despite Dante's efforts to keep Redgrave demon free, barring himself of course, seemed oblivious to its existence as the one she'd seen that very afternoon walked right through it without incident.
Looking down at her metallic workbench, which was covered in gun parts, finely crafted and well maintained tools, and shells in all sizes, her old yet still very keen, vibrant brown eyes fell on a simple card with a platinum butterfly emblazoned on the front. It'd simply been there a week ago, about the same time she'd noticed the prison door that wasn't attached to any building had popped up. The writing on the otherwise plain card seemed to shimmer and dance under the moonlight, and despite knowing full well demons and magic were very real, while the vast majority of the world had no idea of either, she felt nothing malicious about the card. What gave her pause however was the simple request, written in an eloquent, flowingly beautiful scrawl that was perfectly legible to even the most blind of individuals, of which she was nowhere near being herself.
Ms. Goldstein.
We bear a simple request from our Master, Igor. Would you open your home to three Wild Cards, and prepare them for the trials to come? If you accept, simply bring this invitation to the door that's appeared across the street from your shop.
Sincerely Yours….
Elizabeth, Margaret, and Lavenza.
She'd mulled it over for four days thus far, and she still hadn't decided on what she wanted to do. There wasn't much room to be had with all the crap she'd collected from all of her gun smithing work, let alone all the junk people often sold her in exchange for her master level skill when it came to customizing any firearm they happened to bring with them. Everyone in Redgrave, from the casual collector to the hardcore gun nut, knew where to go if they wanted to get the most out of their weapons, but she didn't take custom jobs anymore. She'd gotten too old for that, but she still did upgrades with the same skill that had seen her through most of her life despite her long, dark brown, gnarled fingers having begun to grow slightly stiff from arthritis.
Dante had once said she looked like Methuselah's grandmother, with her long gray hair that was done up in a series of braids that hung from her dark skinned, leathery and wrinkled head, with skin that visibly sagged off of her rickety bones. Despite old age having slowed her down, the seemingly frail old woman was possessed of a strength only someone who'd persevered through things no one should ever endure kept her going, and it showed as she walked to her shop's front door without the need for a cane. True, she kept one hand behind her back, but it was more of a habit than a necessity as she casually twirled the card between her fingers despite the slight discomfort the once easy, deft movements gave her now. "Hmph." She grumbled, more at herself for deciding to do this at all than any annoyance towards whoever had decided to drop a weird ass door across from her place as she effortlessly crossed the normally pretty quiet cobbled street.
Without waiting for an invitation, Nell reached out for the strange, spectral door's metallic handle, and stepped through without any further hesitation. The world around her turned vibrant white, but there was no pain from the bright light that enveloped her. Opening her eyes once she felt the light dim as her feet touched ground once more, she took one look at the wide, wooden oak desk, a long nosed man in a black suit and tie, a white undershirt just visible beneath with pearly white gloves adorning his hands, marched up to the desk, and slammed the card down in front of him. "I assume you're Igor?"
If her rude introduction, let alone her attempt to intimidate him, had had any effect, the wide eyed….man, if he was indeed human in the first place, merely gave her a full smile that displayed every single one of his teeth. "Indeed I am Lady Goldstein, and welcome to the Velvet Room." He said, spreading his arms wide to take in the circular, blue walled room with what looked like empty prison cells lining the walls, complete with dripping water, metallic manacles, and a simple cot in each cell. All of the cells were open, but what had her brief attention was the fact none of them had a cell door, as if they'd never been there in the first place. His next words drew her sharp gaze back to the man at the desk. "My name is Igor, and it is delightful to meet your acquaintance."
"Hmph, save the flattery for someone else, whatever you are. The only reason I decided to come was because your card warned of trouble on the horizon. What could possibly be coming that someone like Tony couldn't handle on his own?" Nell asked as she crossed her arms over her simple gray work shirt, her long, skinny legs draped in loose fitting jeans that had more holes than her skin had wrinkles, or so Nico had jokingly said just a week ago. Nell had smirked down at the girl at the time, but she hadn't cared enough to change into something more 'appropriate' for a first meeting like this. She was an old woman, she'd long ago earned her right to be a crude bitch whenever she damned well pleased thank you very much.
"That is not for me to say, for even my sight does not extend that far, but I can assure you, your 'Tony', while quite capable, is not strong enough in one regard you've noted long ago." Igor countered gently, earning a thoughtful frown from Nell for his trouble. "I see that we're in agreement."
Tony Redgrave, Dante, was more than a match for most of the supernatural threats that had begun to make Redgrave their personal playground, but he didn't necessarily care about anyone or anything outside of whatever money he could get his hands on, but his true, perhaps only, love was the simple thrill of fighting for its own sake. What little she truly knew about the man said that he'd gone through a great deal of personal loss and heartache while he'd been a child not unlike her granddaughter, and that he'd become jaded and cynical as a result as he was forced to take care of himself as best he could, all while trying to hide his own supernatural abilities since he was supposed to be half demon himself. Whatever the case, Nell couldn't argue with this stranger's assessment, since she'd seen Dante's true face only once, but it'd been enough to assure her that beneath his devil may care attitude, lay the heart of someone truly valiant and willing to protect the world from his own dark brethren. He just needed a push in the right direction.
"And you think throwing your so called Wild Cards at my shop will somehow help my Dante?" Nell asked, dispensing with any pretense she didn't know that this Igor knew all about Tony's real identity at this point. When Igor only nodded, his smile slowly creeping across his face once more, Nell let her arms fall to her sides as she stared down into the suited man's face. "You're gonna have to explain that one to me."
"I will delightfully answer any questions you have for me Lady Goldstein." Igor exclaimed happily, which made the wrinkles in Nell's face deepen considerably as a blue, velvet lined chair appeared behind her. "Let us conduct our business so you might return to yours, but know that while the Velvet Room is meant for those that hold a contract with us, I will provide what help I can to you as well since we are inconveniencing you to some extent."
"I barely have enough room for me some days, and you want me to put up room and board for three other people? You're damn right you'll help me, old coot." Nell grumbled, but the slightest flicker of something approaching warmth appeared in her eyes, something she tried very hard to keep to herself since she didn't want to give this man the satisfaction of having given her hope for her long time friend and business partner, Dante. Well, friend was probably stretching it, since they were constantly mean to each other, but there was a respect there, a warmth and ease she didn't have with most of her clientele.
Igor, for his part, merely waved a hand, before a considerable stack of hundred dollar bills appeared on the desk. "That should cover any expansion to your shop so that a living space can be created for your three new guests. I hope that'll make our future discussion more...amicable between us."
Staring uncertainly at the stack of hundreds, Nell couldn't help but ask a question that had likely been asked, "Why me?"
"To be frank Lady Goldstein, you were the best choice to offer shelter to those that will be coming to fight against the forces that plague your world, for they themselves will be strangers to that which you've dedicated your life in giving others the means to destroy those who embrace their base natures."
"So I'm the mentor in this story is what you're saying." Nell grumbled, but she didn't make quite as much of an effort to keep her true emotions hidden anymore. To be trusted to safeguard and educate those that would be putting their lives on the line for her world, specifically her granddaughter, while she had no idea if these three individuals would be worth the dirt on her boots, was still an honor despite still not trusting the man across from her. "And what happens if they turn out to be no good?"
"I have faith that they'll surprise you pleasantly with their own merits, Lady Goldstein." Something in Igor's words made Nell hesitantly hopeful as she crossed her arms over her chest as she crossed her right leg over her left knee. "So...do we have an acceptable deal?"
"How long?"
"A little less than three years, barring any complications with getting them to your world."
"Hmph." Standing to her feet, Nell walked to the door, but before she left, she gave Igor one last piercing glare. "Just don't make me regret this, old man."
The light returned when she pushed her way outside, but when it disappeared, Nell blinked, having expected to have been back in her bed since a part of her had thought it all a vivid dream. Instead, she found herself on the sidewalk, across the street from her shop and its damned misspelled sign. Shaking her head as she turned and saw the Velvet Room's door was still there, she made her way to her shop once more, only to pause when she saw the stack of money on her workbench, with a platinum blonde woman with golden eyes waiting for her, a large leather brown grimoire under one arm.
Bursting into her workspace, Nell half expected the stranger to have disappeared in the time her line of sight was cut off, but the woman remained. Once she'd shut the door behind her, Nell took a long look at the stranger, pursing her lips in disdain despite the stranger's very elegant if slightly odd appearance. The blue velvet petticoat, long black skin tight pants, and thigh high leather black boots, her coat adorned with gold buttons, did the beautiful if pale skinned, tall beauty justice as a whole, but it was her unusually golden eyes that held infinite wisdom and power within them that had Nell's attention. "So which one are you?" She asked, knowing this was likely one of Igor's girls, assistants, or whatever.
"I am Margaret. I'm here to ensure that the Wild Cards that are due to arrive in about two month's time are taken care of upon arrival, but my function currently is to ensure the way is prepared for when the gate is established from their world, to this one."
"Hmph, so you're a babysitter is what you're saying. Fine fine, just don't get in my way if a customer decides to show up." Nell grumbled as she ignored the amused half smirk that appeared on Margaret's face. Without a further word to the attendant as she opened her grimoire without actually putting her hands on it, Nell only gave her half a glance when the large, brown book began to glow and levitate between the blonde's spread hands. "Magicians and their damn need to show off." She grumbled, but she had made a deal, and she'd honor it. Having had the intent to get the upstairs expanded anyway, if for no other reason than she needed the room for some of her crap, Nell went to the old rotary phone on her store's countertop near the front of her shop, and began making calls.
By the time she looked up, she saw Margaret had gone, and a new blue door had appeared in the back of her shop. "Shit….I didn't say you could leave that in the center of my place!" She wasn't disappointed when she got no answer in response to her shouting, and despite her protest, it wasn't a big deal since the blonde had made sure to put it in a disused corner of her place, where several precariously stacked boxes resided that tended to be full of broken guns she normally took apart for spare parts she just hadn't gotten around to doing anything with. With a shake of her head, Nell sighed and went back to her seat, having run around enough for one day.
Two months later….
How long she'd been stuck as the Great Seal, Kotone Shiomi couldn't have said since one day bled into another without any real change beyond the occasional appearance of Erebus, the collective manifestation of humanity's darkest wish, that which involved an end to their suffering. Most of the time Elizabeth dragged the monstrous entity away, scattering whatever ashes were left by the time she finished with it, across whatever battlefield she chose now that Kotone had given her life to protect her world, but until she appeared, Erebus often had more than enough time to give Kotone a measure of...discomfort. Despite her promise to try and find a way to free Kotone from her self imposed prison, keeping Erebus from ever uniting with Nyx, thus ushering in the end of the world as she knew it, Kotone was content in that her sacrifice meant her friends could live. That was enough for her, that was all she had ever wanted once she'd gotten to this point in her life. Her only regret was that she hadn't gotten more time with them, with….Yukari, but she knew they were fine.
That would always be enough for her.
Until a familiar golden light surrounded her, and Kotone found herself free of the gigantic door. A ragged breath filled lungs that hadn't tasted fresh air in years, and life slowly returned to her unused, formerly petrified limbs. Gentle hands on her shoulders pushed her over onto her side, where she coughed and wheezed, her vision blurry as painful dry heaves wracked her lithe, slender frame. Slowly though, the pain receded, and she was able to croak out from a throat just as unused as the rest of her, "Wha….who...ugh…."
"Take it easy kid. I don't know what the Hell you were doin' on that giant ass door I saw when your friend came in before fucking around with that damn portal, but a damn elevator attendant pulled you off that thing by the time I got up to see what the Hell was goin' on. Don't make much sense to me, but I think I can put two and two together." Slowly turning her head as far as she could, Kotone's reddish brown eyes fell on a wrinkled old woman with skin the color of worn, cracked leather. "Hmph, what's the matter, haven't seen an old woman before?"
"M-my apologies. Urgh...I've just been...stuck on a door this whole time with….only a monstrous entity as company, clawing at me for most of that time." Gingerly pushing herself up to her hands and knees, the old woman close enough to help her if it looked like she was going to topple over, Kotone groaned as she put her weight on the cluttered workbench at her right, her legs wobbling but holding steady, barely.
Short, auburn hair that obscured part of her young, round face framed Kotone's head in an artfully messy bowl cut. A red cloth handkerchief hung about her neck, with a orange and red student vest and black undershirt, and gray black skirt adorning her lower half, revealing pale if short, muscular and slender legs that refused to stop wobbling on her. That she barely reached the old woman's neck didn't seem to bother her though as Kotone kept herself upright, glad that her naginata's sheath had been incorporated in her belt a long time ago.
"Yeesh, and I thought my world was fucked up." The old woman grunted as she none too gently shoved a wooden chair towards her. With a nod of thanks, Kotone sat down, immediate relief flooding her unused body. "So how'd you get stuck with that gig, kid?"
"Kotone...Kotone Shiomi, and….that's a long story, but it was a sacrifice I made to protect my friends, my world." The conviction and certainty in her voice must of touched something in the old woman's heart, because she merely nodded, the hard edges to her wrinkled face softening somewhat.
"Huh, guess I owe that Igor fella an apology."
"You've met Igor?" Kotone asked, her eyes opening slightly at the revelation.
"Only once, asked me to keep an eye on ya and two others that are supposed to be here soon I reckon. He or his assistant didn't tell me anything about you lot though, only that you're supposed to be capable. Don't look like much to me since you're barely able to stand."
"You're….right to be cautious, since you have no reason to trust me, let alone believe a word out of my mouth, but I'll try not to be a burden to you ma'am."
"Psh, call me Nell, Nell Goldstein if ya must know." Nell grumbled, earning a minute nod from Kotone for her trouble.
"So Nell," looking up towards the stairwell that led up to the second and recently completed third floors, two young men that were as different as night was to day, stood, one with his arms crossed over his chest while the other kept his respectfully behind his back, "you're the woman that's supposed to help us acclimatize to this world?"
"Certainly seems that way fuzzy britches." Nell rumbled while Kotone simply watched their approach. Despite her weakened state, Kotone could sense the power they both held within themselves since it mirrored her own, although there were slight differences between them. The glance they shared with her said they could feel hers as well, a simple nod from the taller, sleeker of the two all she needed to see to know their thoughts were equally aligned. "Why don't ya all start explainin' why I shouldn't show you the door?" Nell rumbled, drawing their respective gazes towards her.
"It's like Kotone's said," the gray haired young man said as he held a long, black katana's sheath close to his right side after he started to walk down the stairs, "it's a long story for all of us. I suspect that we all have a different tale to tell though." He said as his gray eyes fell on the fuzzy haired young man at his side that couldn't have been older than he was. That he wore glasses she suspected he didn't need told the gray haired samurai wannabee and herself, at least as far as Kotone's opinion went, that there was something lurking behind the third's otherwise unassuming, almost blank facial expression.
"Start with a name then, beanpole." Nell grunted with a dismissive wave of her hand, earning a slight cock of the taller's head while his companion chuckled quietly as they stood before the two women.
With a slight bow, his free hand going across his gray, short sleeve undershirt, which was partially obscured by his open black cloth jacket, the bowl cut gray haired young man smiled and said, his gray eyes warm and inviting to look upon, "My name is Yu Narukami. I'm the leader of a group of friends nicknamed the Investigation Team since we got involved in trying to solve several murders in a small town called Inaba."
"Guessin' there was a shithead with supernatural powers behind him." Nell stated, a slight nod from Yu confirming their shared suspicions as Kotone simply sat and listened. "And you fuzzy britches?"
"Akira Kurusu, ma'am." The barest flicker of a far too confident smile appeared on his face as he spread his arms, opening the jacket just enough to give a hint of a leather holster tucked just under his right arm, the butt of a model gun's handgrip visible to the woman's sharp eyes. On his left hip, another holster, and the hilt of a wickedly sharp looking knife resided, except a closer look revealed it was as fake as the gun under his arm, earning a quizzical glance for their trouble. "Like Yu, my own friends and I got ourselves into a bit of a mystery. Unlike my mild mannered friend here, we actively rebelled against a woefully corrupt society."
"Hmph, figures one of you would be a troublemaker."
"I'm a troublemaker with style." Akira countered, earning a surprised if quiet laugh from Kotone while Nell's brown eyes narrowed to slits.
"Wiseass to boot. You and Nico will get along well."
"Nico?" Kotone asked while the two boys simply looked on.
"Granddaughter, nice girl, too smart for her own good, but probably got that from her 'dad'." Kotone didn't comment on the sheer disdain in Nell's voice when she'd uttered that last word, and while they didn't say anything, she was glad the two at the foot of the stairs decided to keep silent as well. That was a can of worms she didn't want to open, especially with three strangers, one of which could barely stand at the moment. "Before you all get too comfortable, better convince me as to why you'd have a chance 'round these parts because whatever your skills, I can almost guarantee it won't mean jack shit against a demon."
"Demons?" Kotone asked, but was largely ignored as Nell's gaze fell on Akira's face.
"Because we're cute and cuddly?" Akira suggested cheekily, as he leaned against a nearby wall, his face morphing into a more serious grimace a split second later. "Can't exactly speak for the others, but since they went through something similar like myself… well I guess you could say we faced gods and demons to get here. And no offense to you, I'd like to return as soon as I can."
"I hear you on that." Yu agreed as Kotone watched, intrigued nearly as much as Nell was, as he raised his free hand, and let out a satisfied noise in the back of his throat when a flame wreathed blue and white card appeared in his empty palm. "So...I'm going to take a guess and say we're not limited to whatever world we've visited if I can do that here."
"A Wild Card huh? Guess that fits what Lavenza's said." Akira stated as similarly spectral blue flames wreathed him from head to toe. When they dispersed, his entire outfit had changed, revealing a much more stylish rogue with a pale gray mask over his face. "I've missed this." He muttered lowly as his gloved hands softly touched the texture of his coat and mask before he snap drew the pistol under his right arm. "Welcome back old friend." No longer a mere model gun, the weapon seemed to radiate a power of its own, similar in nature to the very 'real' knife that had also changed. "Looks like the barrier between the worlds is thin here."
"Which means our power functions as it normally would back home." Kotone mused as her hand strayed to the Evoker on her right hip, except when she reached for it, she found the holster was empty. Pursing her lips in thought at this unexpected turn, she instead closed her eyes and focused her mind inward, where she felt her own power burning as brightly as ever. "I no longer need...that, it seems." She said, more to herself than anyone in particular as ghostly blue flames, with the sound of shattering glass, heralded the appearance of her Persona. When she opened them again, a red and gold doppelganger holding a harp in 'her' hands appeared, its face partially obscured by its silver bangs as it hovered a foot off the ground behind her. "Orpheus…."
"I don't wanna kill the mood, but… given that we're all able to summon our Personas so effortlessly… I think we'll be in real trouble soon." Yu noted as he gazed impassively at the other occupants of the room. It was only then that Kotone noted the dumbfounded but quietly approving gleam in Nell's eyes that Yu also took note of the fact they had an audience of one still. "Ah….right, sorry, you did ask for a demonstration though."
"I did." Nell managed to say as Kotone blushed, dismissing her Persona with the same ease she'd called it here. "Bah, wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've seen in my life. Still, beanpole's right." Ignoring the muttered 'beanpole?' from Yu, Nell crossed her arms over her chest and said, "That's the problem in a nutshell. I don't know what kind of shit you kids are used to taking apart, but around here, demons are a problem. Most people aren't aware of them, but as you've already proven, they can still come and go through the cracks between our world and theirs. Especially nasty ones will make mincemeat out of the lot of you if you let your guard down for even a moment."
"Remind me to thank Igor for the delightful vacation." Akira snarked sardonically, now standing by the window. How he made his way over there without any of them noticing, none could say as he too powered down, dismissing whatever power he'd manifested at the same time. "Sounds similar to Shadows… only more feral."
"Shadows?" Nell asked.
"Broken pieces of a human's ego, emotions gone haywire, dark impulses and desires given a physical form. Whatever their nature, Shadows all operate under a similar nature in wanting to destroy their human hosts nine times out of ten." Kotone explained, earning a nod from Yu while Akira simply remained staring out the window.
"That make you a Shadow Operative?" The taller of the two asked, and when Kotone raised an eyebrow, Yu pointed to the empty holster on her hip. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like a holster for an Evoker."
"You've met SEES then."
"Briefly. Long story there too, but we all got dragged into a weird fighting tournament."
"I see…." She started to ask a question, but thought better of it at the last moment. "Whatever the case, Shadows never work alone. There's always a greater entity, a god or avatar of death, or something similar in its power, behind their manifestations."
"Fits with what I know despite the differences in how they manifested." Akira added from his spot by the window. "A god of control decided to drop in on Tokyo about a year ago now. Me and my team put him out of commission."
"What's the year for you?" Kotone asked suddenly, earning a slightly bemused glance from Akira for her trouble while Yu cocked his head to the side.
"2013." Yu stated softly.
"2016 for me." He said after giving the question a second to sink in.
"It….it's been almost ten years for me…." Kotone muttered forlornly as her hands balled into fists against her skirt. "...Ten years….I've been on that door for almost ten years." She didn't realize she'd started to cry until she felt a wad of tissues being pressed into her hand by Nell. Blinking in confusion, she quickly took the offered tissues and sighed, too tired and sore to care that she was tearing up in front of these people as she dabbed at her eyes.
Yu, she saw, was the only one that understood what it was she was going through. "I've heard of someone who stopped the end of the world not so long ago, at least from my perspective. I didn't get a chance to ask about the details, but I got the impression the victory cost the Operatives a friend." At these words she saw a flash of understanding on Akira's face as well even as he turned away from the pair. His gray eyes that had looked upon her with empathy now avoided her as he thought about whatever loss plagued him.
"It...it was indeed me." Kotone breathed shakily as she slowly began to regain her composure. "It's funny….I'd obtained the power of a god in my own right, but I gave it up in a heartbeat to keep Erebus away from the Nyx Avatar for the rest of eternity. It was the only way that I could keep my friends safe."
"A sacrifice you made willingly." Akira stated, finishing the thought that was on everyone's minds as Kotone only nodded. "Which begs the question-"
"Who's keeping the door shut now?" Kotone finished for him this time. "I….might have an idea, and if it's who I think it is….she won't be able to keep it up forever."
"Which means we have to finish this sooner rather than later huh?" The fuzzy haired boy asked as he finally turned away from the window. "Why can't any of the gods ever be nice? I feel like most of them just want to mess with humanity in a way that just shouldn't be."
"Welcome to my world fuzzy britches." Nell cut in, drawing their collective attention towards her once more. "Except replace gods with demons and you'd be right at home from the sound of it since they're just as much a collective group of assholes as any god you've mentioned….well, except two, and one of 'em's….well, I'll tell ya later." Holding her hand out to Kotone, she didn't disappoint as she accepted the offer of help before Nell walked right past the two men and started up the stairs. "Come on then brats, rooms are on the third floor. You're keepin' the place clean and kept up on your own, so anything gets broken, it's your asses."
"This feels almost nostalgic." Akira muttered lowly. "Now you just gotta tell me to keep my nose out of adults' business and that I'm on probation, and I'll feel right at home."
"Heh, wiseass." Kotone smiled since Nell, despite her seemingly ever present disdain for Akira, couldn't hide the warmth in her voice if she tried from the former Shadow Operative's ears. "You and I are gonna get on like oil and water, aren't we fuzzy britches?"
The confident smirk that appeared on Akira's face only seemed to widen when Kotone and Nell glanced over their shoulders at him. "I'm a gentleman thief, you'll come to like me soon enough."
"A thief huh? Just don't go 'round stealing from people in these parts. Most have a hard 'nough time without someone like you lurkin' about."
"That's kinda what a thief does… but okay… What if I promise to steal you something nice?"
"Then forget what I said and bring me the goods." Nell retorted, shooting Akira a shit eating grin that had the thief flashing the group a wicked grin of his own in return.
"Well that was quick." Yu muttered with an amused shake of his head. "Still, thank you for putting up with us Nell-senpai."
"Psh, drop the honorific BS, beanpole. It's Nell."
"Very well, still, my gratitude stands."
"Don't thank me yet until you see your new homes for the foreseeable future, beanpole." Nell countered, but before Kotone looked back to the stairs as she carefully placed each foot in front of the other, she could've swore she saw an amused half smile pass between Akira and Yu.
"Something tells me they'll be fine." The former said while Yu simply smiled gently in response.
While the first and second floors seemed relatively cramped with the tools of Nell's trade, there was a sense of being well lived in and taken care of as a whole that appealed to the three young adults. A garage entrance was just off the right side of the shop, with a small living room space, bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom big enough for Nell but not much else. The second floor was mostly storage space for her washer and dryer, as well as a second, smaller bathroom and boxes of gun parts, spare tools, and whatever crap she'd collected and forgotten about throughout her life thus far. The third floor was another story since it was relatively empty and clean despite construction having been finished just a few days ago.
While the bedrooms were relatively small, with two on the left, and a third on the right, there was a comfortably sized bathroom with a good sized against one wall, a shower head hanging from a hook at one end. There was also a well furnished living area with a small, flat screen TV against one wall at the top of the third floor landing. A beaten up old couch and a spare recliner that looked like it'd seen better days was situated around the TV, with an equally rough looking wooden coffee table between them. "That money your friend Igor threw at me didn't leave much room for anything better. TV works, but don't expect much outta it unless one of you can fix it up."
"I'll try my best." Yu offered, earning a pleasantly surprised glance from everyone. He merely shrugged his shoulders, his free hand in his pocket. "I pick up skills relatively quickly, given time."
"Hmph." Nell grunted approvingly as she let Kotone take a few hesitant steps on her own. When she was sure she'd be alright, Kotone nodded her thanks to the old woman, who waved her off without a further word. "Well, as I said, ya break it, it's your ass. Lendin' a hand around the shop would help me out, when you ain't busy keeping the demon population under control, preferably without destroyin' innocent people's livelihoods in the process."
"We'll do our best to keep to our word, Nell." Kotone promised as she put her hands on her hips, displaying more confidence than she actually felt as far as her returning strength was concerned.
"While I'll make no promises that I won't raise a little Hell, destruction of property isn't something I regularly do." Akira offered in turn, earning another dismissive snort from Nell.
"You'll have no problem from me Nell." Yu stated gently but firmly, keeping his responses as simple as possible compared to the others. Even so, there was no denying that he'd do his best to keep himself out of trouble.
Walking up to the trio so that she was looking directly into Yu's face, Nell glared daggers at them all equally. "Make me regret it and Igor won't have a chance to send you home 'cause he'll be collectin' your bullet riddled corpses."
"I don't doubt it." Yu stated with another short, respectful bow of his head. While Kotone remained still as a statue at the tension filled stare off between her and Nell, she noticed Akira's little passive smile had a mischievous if warm edge to it as he too did his best to hold the old woman's piercing gaze.
The moment passed as she saw Nell's wrinkled face slowly light up ever so slightly. "Good. Now go on, get some rest. You start workin' for room and board soon as you don't look like you'll fall over from a stiff breeze." While her words were meant for Kotone, a quick glance showed that all of them looked equally tired in different ways. Having said her piece, Nell walked away.
It was only after she'd reached the stairs that Kotone's legs finally gave out on her, but to her pleasant surprise, both Akira and Yu were there to catch her by the shoulders. "Room on the right work for you?" Akira asked, to which Kotone grunted a 'yes' as she struggled to help them walk her to the bedroom in question. "That leaves the two on the left for us then."
"I'm alright with this arrangement if you are." Yu stated gently. Without a further word on the matter, they got Kotone settled in record time. Half conscious as she was, she didn't protest as they pulled her shoes off and tossed them aside before getting the covers pulled up to her chin. She was out cold by the time Akira, being the last to leave the room, gently shut the door behind him, his own, paler gray eyes settling on her face until he couldn't see her anymore. Yu kept silent, letting the young thief have a moment to get his thoughts in order.
"So why did you agree to this?" Akira asked as he passed by Yu in the hallway back to their new living room.
Yu shrugged his shoulders "Because I have people back home I need to protect, same as you."
"In another world?" Akira countered, "with three Wild Cards in the same place, either this is overkill, or the threat's much more than we rightly understand."
"The thought had crossed my mind." Yu replied as he sat down in the recliner, his sword propped up against the chair's right side within easy reach of his hand. "But we all know Igor, even if our assistants are different. He wouldn't put us together without a reason."
"Hmm….your Igor maybe, the one I was introduced to was replaced by that god I mentioned." Yu stiffened in his seat at that as Akira put his back to the living room's wall, just next to the hallway. "Yaldabaoth was a clever opponent, but he still lost in the end."
"Well, my Igor's always been the mysterious type, but he was nothing if not respectful. He also seemed to know far more than anyone else I've ever met, giving just enough information to guide my allies and me to where we were needed."
"Heh, I see." Akira said as he sat down on the arm of the couch. "And that's probably the most you've said in a single go." With a sigh, Yu saw Akira's little half smirk disappear as he pulled the model gun out of his side holster before giving it a lazy twirl around his finger. Even that much though told Yu that he was quite the dexterous fellow. "I wasn't lying when I said I was a thief, but I'm not like any you've heard of."
"Considering you're from my future, that's not surprising." Yu replied, knowing that his joke aside, that Akira was unique, for a thief at least. "So, which world did you and your friends find themselves in?"
"A world of cognition, you?"
"A world made by a person's mind? That's certainly a new one on me." Folding his hands under his chin, Yu's eyes grew distant as he remembered his own trials. "A hollow forest, shrouded in an impenetrable fog. It was born of people's desires to see that which others keep hidden from the world. Deluded by these false perceptions of those around them, the madness grew as a new 'channel' appeared, appropriately called the Midnight Channel since it only appeared at that hour on a rainy night. Once someone was taken to this other world, their Shadow would appear, spilling forth everything the real person kept hidden, although it wasn't that simple we found out later."
"I bet. Spawned by that false perception, I bet there were all kinds of crazy stuff happening in that world."
"Yeah...those who watched the Midnight Channel saw only what they wanted to see, rather than what was actually true. We weren't exempt from that, although we were trying to figure out the truth from the start." The briefly haunted look in Yu's face was there and gone so quickly, but the slight narrow to Akira's eyes told him the thief had noticed. "Long story short, we took down the gods responsible, before finding the one truly responsible behind the madness."
"Gods? And I thought my team and I had problems." Akira countered but nodded, that mutual respect and understanding, let alone the fact they were on the same wavelength on a far more spiritual level, shining through to the other. "Well, since you asked so nicely, our little forays into the Metaverse started by accident when I got a weird phone app shortly after I was forced to move to Yongen-Jaya."
"So that crack about you being on probation?"
"Falsely convicted." Akira was quick to point out as he turned his head ever so slightly towards the stairs. "...I stumbled across a man trying to force a woman into his car. He was drunk, but he was connected."
"I see. So you tried to save the woman, only to end up giving him an excuse to sue you?" Akira nodded before cocking his head slightly to the side, a question visible on his face. "My uncle's a detective, and one of my friends on the Investigation Team's a genius investigator. While I'm no cop, I know enough about how the system works to know how someone can get around it. ….Or bend it to their will outright."
"Your opponent was human with power like yours wasn't he?" Akira asked as understanding dawned like a flashbulb in his face.
Looking down, Yu sighed heavily and said, "...Yeah, he was my uncle's former partner. He was playing us for fools from the start."
"I know the feeling. So, enjoying our life stories there Nell?" Yu looked up and turned as Nell stepped up the rest of the stairs, having been hiding in the shadows this whole time. "Can't blame you for wanting to eavesdrop though."
"Hmph. Don't forget who's place this is, pipsqueak. I have every right to be suspicious of all of you since you're living here now." Nell grumbled, but Yu wasn't fooled by her grouchy act. She soon enough dispensed with it in any event as she stood between them, arms crossed and her brown eyes surprisingly soft as she took them both in. "Sounds like all of you have had the shit kicked out of you in some way. In that….in that I can relate in my own right."
"So...what happens now?" Yu asked after an uneasy silence that had fallen between them became almost unbearable.
"Don't mistake me, I still think all of you are nothin' but trouble, but….if even half of what you've all said is true, then you might just be what this town needs to see another year without becoming overrun in demon shitstains. I'll be keepin' an eye on you all, but….I'm willing to give you a chance."
"That's more than we can ask for given our situation Nell." Yu replied evenly as he picked up his katana before putting it against his shoulder without breaking his stride. Pausing at the door, Yu met the old woman's gaze and offered her a respectful nod. "I can't speak for my two companions, but I'll do my best to earn your trust."
While Akira didn't say a word as he walked to his own room, hands deep in his pockets, he too paused and nodded, making it obvious he'd also do his best to earn Nell's trust since, despite her attitude, was now just as mixed up in their crap as those they had left behind. Partially opening the door, Yu watched as Akira turned to regard the woman over one shoulder. "He might be a mild mannered kinda guy, but Yu's got the right of it, Nell. I might be a rebel, but I only go after truly corrupt and distorted people, those who have allowed their desires to get the better of them. So if your demons are anything like my team's former targets, then we won't have a problem."
Nell for her part couldn't help but wonder just what kind of deal she'd accepted without reading the damn fine print as she made her way back to her workshop. Whatever she'd gotten herself into though, supernatural or not, she knew this much just from the short time she'd been listening on those two. There was definitely something good and decent about those kids. With a sigh, she sat down at her bench once more, feeling every one of her long years as she put her feet up on the edge of her cluttered workbench. "Ugh….I'm going damn soft."
"That doesn't sound like you Nell." Looking over her shoulder, Nell rolled her eyes as a black man in a tailored suit walked in, a giant cigar locked between his teeth.
"Fuck off Morrison, nobody asked for your opinion." The man chuckled at the traditional greeting as Nell gave him a rare smile that just as quickly morphed into her normally sour grimace. "Hmph, so you came to check in on the crazy gun lady, or did you have a job for those punks upstairs?"
"So….they showed up after all. Looks like I lost that bet to Dante, but can't win 'em all I guess." Nell chuckled as the man sat down against the clerk, his arms crossed so that his right elbow was propped up in his left hand, his fingers curling around his cigar before blowing out a long stream of smoke. "Speaking of, how's our boy doing?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing since he hasn't been around for a couple weeks. Still hear of him doin' jobs though, so he isn't dead yet. He's probably headin' back here as we speak." Nell grumbled and jerked a thumb towards the ceiling. "So, come to see what my new houseguests are capable of? They might surprise you, and they need work anyway since I ain't giving them a free ride."
"I'll give it a few days before throwing them a bone, but if they're up for it, I'll certainly consider handing them an easy gig to see what they can do. If they're anything like our boy though, I doubt we have a reason to worry. So, are they?"
"They've got power, but it's like nothing I've ever seen. That's not saying much since I just supply the guns to folks like our mutual friend, but they all seem cut from the same cloth." Nell waved a hand as some of Morrison's cigar smoke drifted towards her, making her wrinkle her nose in disdain. "Whatever they are though, they don't know a thing about demons, but they're not helpless from what I've been able to get out of them."
"Good to know. I'll keep it in mind if a job comes up that seems like a good test case." Pushing away from the countertop, Nell watched as Morrison tossed the dregs of his cigar into a nearby waste basket, his earlier jovial smile turning serious, his own brown eyes falling to half slits. "So, what can you tell me about these people?"
End Notes: Vergil1989: Well that happened. Morrison from his repeated appearances in the anime, as well as the new trailer for DMC 5 always paints the guy in a positive light. He might be a 'tight fisted son of a bitch', or so Dante would say, but Morrison always struck me as a stand up businessman just trying to keep the world safe in his own way. Having said that, this is a much younger Morrison rather than the old man seen in the trailers, and while I liked the anime appearance of the guy, I actually prefer the 'new' Morrison's appearance. Either way, from what I could remember from the old DMC novel and what I could find on the wiki, Nell has been a blast to write since it's not often I get a chance to try and portray such a crotchety old woman lol. Not only that, but while we have to make up a lot of her history ourselves, that kind of strength she seemed to possess around Dante even when she was dying at her workbench, isn't all that hard to imagine as to where it came from, especially given what DMC's world is like for the unwary. Still, our protags, while they were pretty chatty about things, all have a lot in common right out of the gate. They still have to learn to work and fight together, which won't be easy given their very different personalities and combat skills, but it's either that or they all die. No pressure, no reward though. :P Seriously though, that they can sense the other's strength seemed natural, as does the fact that they can so easily read each other since ALL Wild Cards thus far seem possessed of more than a little intelligence and wisdom. Some just come at it more naturally than others. Just look at Yu at the end of his journey if you want the perfect example.