Well here I am, writing another Devil May Cry fic. I didn't think I would, but someone actually made a request. So this is the first request fic I have ever written. This is for general zargon, I hope you like it. And if anyone else happens to read and enjoy it as well, then great! I hope you do.
This is a semi-sequel to my previous DMC fic, Birthday Bash. You don't have to read that first, but I may make references to it in this, so it wont hurt if you have read that story. This story will contain some Patty x Dante pairing and fluff, but don't run screaming from the room as I don't write anything really smutty or graphic. Anymore.
This is just the first part. I don't know how frequent updates will be as I am also working on a Rozen Maiden fic at the moment. I will try to have a new chapter every week or two at the most. In the meantime, please read and enjoy!
DMC: Sweet Dreams
Chapter 1: Wakeup Call
It was a hot, lazy summer afternoon at Restaurant Fredi, the sunlight streaming through the big glass windows and gently cooking the air inside. The stifling heat had driven away most of the customers, leaving just two people sitting together who could stand the sauna like temperatures. The air conditioning was of course broke, and Fredi the owner was trying to repair it himself, as all the service repairmen were already on call.
Patty Lowell swallowed the last of her melting strawberry sundae and dropped her spoon in the empty dish with a contented sigh. Due to the heat today, she'd opted to wear a simple green t-shirt and knee length trousers instead of one of the many dresses she owned and adored. She brushed a strand of blond hair away from her sparkling blue eyes and turned her attention to the man sitting opposite her.
Dante, the devil hunter. The Son of Sparda. The heat didn't seem to bother him, and if it did he never showed it. He was still finishing off his strawberry sundae, taking his time with it since he had no plans today and nowhere to be. He wasn't even sweating from the heat, Patty noticed, as she reached up and wiped her brow. She regarded Dante for a moment longer before breaking the heavy silence between them.
"You know Dante, we should really see about getting you some new clothes," she said. Dante glanced over at her and frowned.
"Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Patty almost laughed at that. "Nothing. Except that those are the same clothes you were wearing the day we met. You always wear the same thing. Do you even own any other clothes?"
Dante smirked, just barely, and returned to eating his sundae. "I'm like a superhero, Patty; this is my costume."
Patty scoffed. Superhero! As if! The man was a born slob. He sat around all day scoffing pizza and guzzling beer, too lazy to even watch television most days. If it weren't for her cleaning up his mess, he'd be living in a pigsty as well. The only thing Dante had going for him in that regards was the super powers, but there was more to being a hero than that.
Well ... he wasn't that bad, she had to admit. He did save people. He had saved her more than once. And he was kind, if you dug really deep. It was just that those good qualities were sort of buried under a mountain of empty pizza boxes and crumpled beer cans. Dante had more than a few rough edges, and Patty really wished he would at least try and smooth some of them over.
She leaned on the table and grinned at him. "Maybe you should let me update your wardrobe; that could be fun!"
Dante finished his strawberry sundae and pushed the empty dish away, before slumping back in his chair. He stifled a yawn. "Forget it Patty. If I let you dress me I'd probably end up looking like a gay cowboy or something."
Before she could reply to that, Cindy the waitress skated over on her roller blades and dropped a slip of paper on the table in front of Dante. It was of course the bill. She smiled at them both.
"Did you enjoy your strawberry sundaes?" she asked cheerfully. Patty gave an enthusiastic yes, whilst Dante picked up the bill, shot it a brief look, and then dropped it back down on the table.
"Put it on my tab, will ya?" he said casually. Cindy sighed wearily.
"I'm sorry Dante, I can't do that. Fredi says your tab is full, and if you don't pay up he's going to bar you from coming here."
Patty gaped at the devil hunter in astonishment, before narrowing her eyes in accusation. "I don't believe it, you actually treated me to a strawberry sundae without even having the money to pay for it? That's low, Dante, really."
Dante rolled his eyes and shrugged helplessly. "I can't help it if that penny pinching bitch keeps taking all the money I earn," he said, referring of course to Lady, whom he was seriously in dept to. Cindy scowled at him.
"Dante! Don't swear in front of the little lady!" she chastised, "Now are you gonna pay up or what?"
Dante said and did nothing, prompting Patty to give an irate huff and reach into her pocket. She pulled out a tiny orange purse and took out a folded up note from inside. "Here, I guess this one is on me," she said, handing Cindy the money. The waitress gathered up their empty sundae dishes and skated off, leaving the two sitting in a smoldering silence. Patty folded her arms and glared at Dante.
"Honestly Dante, that's pathetic - making a kid pay the bill."
Dante frowned slightly. "Hey, I'd pay up if I had the money, I'm just broke right now."
"Then get a job you lazy good for nothing layabout!" Patty snapped at the unconcerned devil hunter, "Really, how are you ever going to get a girlfriend when you don't have a job or any money?"
He shrugged and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "I don't want one, I'm just fine being by myself," he replied. Patty leaned back in her seat as well, turning her head sharply away in annoyance at his attitude.
"That's a load of nonsense, Dante. You might be able to fool everyone else with your tough guy routine, but not me."
Dante opened his eyes and fixed them on the frustrated little girl, puzzled by her words. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" he asked. Patty extended her hands as if to say that the answer was painfully obvious.
"I know you a lot better than you think, Dante. You put up all these walls around yourself so everyone will think you're untouchable, but it's just so you don't get hurt."
Dante chortled. "You make that sound like it's a bad thing."
Patty glared back at him, her hands on her hips. "You're so used to losing the people you care about that you don't want to get close to anyone in case you lose them too!" Her shoulders slumped and she sighed softly as Dante's face tightened up. "Don't you ever want to fall in love?" she added wistfully.
Dante said nothing. He folded his arms and stared at the floor as if he held a personal grudge against it. Patty waited for an answer, but when it became clear that none was forthcoming she tutted and got to her feet.
"Okay fine, be all moody and broody, but I'm calling Morrison. If he has any work for you then you are going to take it," she instructed with an iron tone that brooked no disagreement, "After all you owe me for two strawberry sundaes ..."
Morrison did have a job lined up for Dante as it happened, but what was really surprising was the client.
"Twelve people so far have all been afflicted," said Lady, handing Dante a list of names and details. He sat perched on the edge of his desk, glancing them over while Lady stood with her arms crossed, waiting for his take on the situation.
"So ... what?" he said after a while, "Are they all in a coma or something?"
"No. According to the doctors all evidence points to them being asleep. They all show signs of dreaming. The only thing is-"
"No one and nothing can wake them up," Morrison finished for her as he lay back on Dante's couch. He lit up a cigarette as Dante frowned at the list in his hands.
Twelve people had all been brought to the local hospital after failing to wake up in the morning. This had happened over the course of the last three days, and so far nothing had been able to rouse these people from their deep slumber. Noise, drugs, cold water ... nothing. They were all seemingly stuck in a dream state, unable to awake. And more ... victims, if you could call them that, were being brought in each morning.
"One of the doctors who treated me in the past for injuries I got on the job called me up and told me about it," Lady explained further, "She figured that maybe the cause was something supernatural, and that I might be able to help solve this little medical mystery."
"But you can't," teased Dante as he handed her the list back, "You don't have a clue what's causing it. So why ask me?"
Lady reached around and pulled out a small glossy photograph, which she handed to Dante. He snatched it from her and peered at it, wondering what she was showing him this time. It looked like a snapshot of a brick wall. Not in itself interesting, however there was a quite noticeable symbol burned into the stone. From the look of it, it was very probably demonic in origin.
"That symbol has been turning up all over the city," said Lady, her tone troubled by this development, "Usually near the victims of this sleeping disorder. I have no idea what it represents. I showed it to Trish, but she didn't have a clue. Then I asked Morrison to see if he could find someone who might know what it is."
"And you thought I would?" Dante asked his agent incredulously. Dante really wasn't the most knowledgeable of people, and research just wasn't something he ever did. Morrison blew out a smoke ring and shrugged.
"It looks demonic. You're a demon," he answered flatly, as if daring Dante to argue with this simple piece of logical reasoning. Dante sighed and stared at the symbol in the photo. No, he did not recognize it in the least. Why would he? One demonic glyph looked much like another as far as he was concerned.
"Maybe you could show it to Patty," Lady suggested playfully, "I hear she's become quite the little demonologist since she reunited with her mother."
"Patty?" Dante gave her a disbelieving look, perhaps not without good reason. When it came to identifying unknown paranormal sigils, a cutesy fussy little girl is not usually the first person that comes to mind when searching for help in such matters. From the look on her face, Lady seemed almost inclined to agree.
"I know, it sounds like a long shot, but I've been spending some time with the kid; she really knows her stuff Dante. It looks as if she's set to follow in Allen Lowell's footsteps. Could be worth a try."
Hell, why not? Dante blinked groggily at the picture in his hand and yawned widely. He was tired. Really tired. What he could sure do with right now was a nap. But Patty had pushed him into getting this job, so the least she could do was offer a helping hand if she knew anything about this.
Right then, that was settled. He'd swing by her place and ask her to look into this weird symbol thing. Then he'd head back to the office to catch forty winks while he waited for her to call, if and when she found anything. Sounded like a plan.
Stifling yet another wide yawn, Dante reached for his coat and headed for the door.