The Bar of Hell
Closing his eyes Dante allowed the din of the bar wash over him like an uncomfortably hot blanket. Sitting down at the bar he looked around lazily trying to gauge the races of the people around him. Right at the moment there were two humans sitting in a dark corner whispering over some nonsense or another something about fighting in hell. Their matters didn't often matter to him.
"What can I get you hunter?"
He looked up and met a pair of sparkling amber eyes. For a moment he saw cat like eyes but the pupils were normal. "What can I get you hunter?" she asked again.
"A beer."
She nodded her head and reached down for a bottle that had some blue label on it, but he didn't care much. The hiss of released air from the bottle and the clink of the cap hitting the counter were the only sound that was made. The bartender sat the bottle down in front of him. Then she went about her business cleaning a beer mug. She turned to put a mug away when a flash of white caught his eye. Braided in her hair was two feathers the tips were black there were a few black spatters near the tips but the majority of the feathers were white. Dante watched her for a moment more. Her long hair slid away from her ears as she turned back to face him revealing dully pointed ears. Reaching up she absently and brushed back some of the stray hairs behind her ears.
"You know it's rude to stare hunter."
Dante snorted before turning back to drink his beer. Her soft laugh rang through the dark place. The front door opened and shut carefully. The person headed to the bar and sat down next to Dante. The silver haired man rolled his eyes.
"Hey Nero," the bartender spoke up.
"Hey Adara. Get me a beer."
She nodded and went for a beer. The popping of the cap clinked on the bar table. There was the soft swish of a napkin as she sat it down then placed the beer on the napkin.
"You let a kid in here? Why don't you get a glass of milk for him?"
The woman ignored him and sat down the beer in front of Nero. The younger silver haired man smiled at the bartender before taking a slow drink of his beer.
"How's Kyrie?" the bartender asked.
He sat his bottle down. The younger silver haired man gave the woman a smirk.
"She's doing good," Nero said.
The bartender nodded before going back to what she was doing. Dante knew there was something off about this bartender it was like her true nature was cloaked somehow. Normally he wouldn't care but there was something different and sometimes that intrigued him.
"You don't like listening to people do you?" Dante said dryly.
"I listen to people well enough its hard not to with my hearing. However, I don't listen to people that insist that they know everything when clearly they don't have any idea."
"Easy Adara this is a friend of mine. His name is…"
"I know who he is Nero. It's written from the cocky smirk to the very clothes he wears. His name is Dante Sparda, the Son of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda."
Dante's head came up and looked at her curiously. Some people knew him but not who his father was, unless they were a devil and knew of his father. He sized her up. She wasn't a devil that much he knew, but she wasn't human either. Nero looked way to comfortable around this woman.
"So Adara did you have any luck finding that charm?" Nero asked.
"Sadly no. My freedom is lost without that charm."
"What would it take for me to get into one of the fights?" the younger man started hesitantly.
"Nero, those fights aren't for you. Kyrie would kill me if I even allowed you near one of them."
"Fights?" Dante asked curiously.
"Basically, it's cock fighting."
"Cock fighting?" Dante scoffed.
"It's an underground fighting ring were people bring their captured demons to fight against summoned devils."
"People who summon devils are fools," Dante said with a snort.
"I'd have to agree but those that try to control demons are bigger fools, especially the pack breeds of demons."
Adara went back to cleaning the mug she was cleaning. Dante sized her up. There was some hidden meaning in her words but he couldn't pin point what it was.
"Are you a contender in these so called fights?" Dante asked.
"Obviously."
"Adara is Hal's prized fighter," Nero stated.
The woman flinched at Nero's words. He assumed that she hated being reminded of the fact that she was something that she didn't like being. That she wasn't were she wanted to be.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Dante asked in annoyance.
"Leave him be hunter. He's not bothering anyone but you."
Dante snorted in disgust as if the very thought that someone could get to him in any way much less in annoyance.
"Adara!" her boss called from the back room.
She looked over her shoulder the burly man cautiously. Dante watched the scene before him carefully. This man was fully human or so it seemed when you met his eyes. His beady eyes darted around the room then landed on Dante and Nero. The man seemed to be dressed up for something. He had an unlit cigar hanging from the corner of her mouth. This man reminded Dante of a pig. Dante didn't miss the dagger filled glare towards the man from Adara.
"You boy are you here with your fighter?" the man asked.
Dante scoffed at the thought. He and Nero weren't friends nor did Dante work for Nero. Nero just started at the comment.
"Half-breeds aren't worth your time," Adara growled.
Despite her natural and at first look dislike of Dante she was attached to Nero. In motherly fashion she didn't want him to see her world. Half the creatures summoned or captured weren't something to be messed with even if someone like Nero could handle it. They were nothing more than intelligent feral beasts. Most demons that were captured had lost their sanity a long time ago due to the repeated blood rages.
"What did you say?" her boss snapped.
"This hunter is only a half-blood devil."
"Don't have any use for Halflings."
"But this is Dante…" Nero started.
"Nero…" Adara hissed too late.
"Dante is it? I've heard of a half-blood devil with that name. I had a fighter some years ago that looked like you but wore a lot of blue name was Vergil I think."
Dante's head came up at that last bit of information. Adara groaned in annoyance. The last thing she wanted was to have to face Dante in the ring in a loosing battle. She didn't doubt Dante strength at all because she'd fought Vergil once before.
"He's a half-blood Hal. Not worth your time," she pleaded sternly.
She had even tried to talk Vergil out of the fights but the blue Sparda twin had refused and joined the fights anyway. "Besides I bet neither of them has the entrance fee."
"I'm sure I can waver the fee. My fighting clients would like to see their pets facing off with Dante Sparda. Hopefully you won't loose this time Adara."
The woman flinched. She had tried to spare them but all her efforts went down a drain as they fell on deaf ears. Adara had hated referring to both Sparda boys as half-breeds. A boy she had adopted a long time ago had been a half-blood for the ten years he was allowed to live. Full-bloods had come while she was out hunting and had tortured and killed the small half-blood. After that she didn't trust most full-bloods. Her mind was brought back to the full present as the threat of Hal's words hung in the air. She'd nearly died fighting Vergil himself but dealing with this human's rage while injured made everything worse.
"What say you Son of Sparda?" Hal asked Dante.
"Let's rock."
Adara rolled her eyes as she let the two men pass her by as Hal lead them through the back door. Her replacement looked at Dante and then towards her with pity in his eyes.
"Good luck Adara."
"Thank you, Chase. Take care of Nero for me when I'm gone, and scold him till he marries that girl."
"Will do."
She nodded her head before following the retreating three down the stairs. The stairs widened out halfway down and it came out into an open arena.
"Adara go get changed. I don't want you bloodying another uniform."
Adara rolled her eyes as she headed towards the changing room. She changed into her fighting gear which consisted of a blood red button down that had to parallel slits down the shoulder blades. A black pair of pants and black combat boots accompanied that. To add to the ensemble a black trench coat with slits in the back. She ran her tired fingers through her dark locks. Standing in front of the mirror she stared at herself knowing this fight was her last. Dante would beat the lesser devils and then they'd send out her.
"Adara hurry up!" Hal called.
She sighed softly before heading out to stand beside Hal. People were filing into the arena. The scent of blood and death hit her hard. It was making her nauseous, but she fought it back. Adara looked up; she was being watched by spectators and devils alike. She was a prized fighter. She wasn't what one could call ruthless. It wasn't engrained in her nature despite what Hal tried to do to her. Had she been a mammal demon like a dog or kitsune then maybe she would have been able to be turned into a cold blood monster, but the mammal in her family had long since been diluted by falcon blood so it was muted. Falcons were calm and cool about things but had the maternal instincts of her other heritage which wasn't a bad thing. Hal sat Nero and Dante down and she was stationed right behind them.
"So devil hunter let's see what you got."
A human entered the ring and began to chant some cliché spell. Adara had heard them all but none of them were sufficient to hold the devils on this plain. Dante smirked at the summoning and he leapt into the ring. Dante was doing a cocky strut. He reminded her of an arrogant male peacock. Rumors had told stories of how deadly he was with his swords and guns but she wondered how he was at hand to hand combat. Some of these battles were decreed that the fighters couldn't use weapons. Mostly it depended on the type of devil that was summoned. From the type that stood in the ring now it was going to be a weapons battle. It was a creature clad in white armor. They carried a spear. Two more stepped out into the ring beside their companion. Their human master smirked and backed away. Adara yawned hugely knowing that Dante was going to win. She closed her eyes listening to the people make bets against Dante.
"Fools," she growled.
"What was that Adara?" Hal asked.
She opened her eyes and stared at him in the eyes. When she wasn't fighting she was helping Hal unwillingly gauge who would win these bouts.
"These people betting against Dante. His strength is trough the roof. He won't be taken down by these three upstarts."
"Good."
Hal made his bets for Dante to win. Nero inched closer to Adara.
"Do you think he'll pit you against Dante?" he whispered.
She inclined her head to the side and looked at Nero. Dante was still standing there with Alastor balanced on his shoulder. He had this shit eating grin on his face knowing that this fight was in the bag. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked back at Dante.
"If I was to fight Dante I wouldn't live even if I managed to go into a full battle rage. I battled his twin once. Vergil was something else I barely escaped with my life considering he didn't think I was worth the effort to kill."
"You've fought a Sparda before?" Nero asked in shock.
"Yes. That was a long time ago. Vergil was young and dumb as I put it but he still could fight."
As they spoke Dante easily dusted the three white knights. The entire arena was in silence. Adara could have sworn she'd heard a cricket chirp somewhere in the place. The person that had summoned the devils stood there completely in shock. Dante smirked and put Alastor back in its place on his back.
"Come on guys isn't there someone more challenging out there then some two bit summoned devils?"
Adara winced knowing what was going to happen at that moment.
"Adara!" Hal snapped in annoyance.
She rose gracefully a sad smiled on her face as she passed Nero. The younger fighter face fell at the look.
"Adara…"
"Lay your bets on Dante."
In a flurry of feathers she landed gracefully behind Dante. Her wings shivered as stood there. Her claws lengthened as she stood there waiting for Dante to acknowledge her presence behind him.
"So they send you to do their dirty work?"
"You asked for the best so they sent their best."
"I don't fight little girls."
Adara began laughing at his words. The confused devil hunter turned around to face his new opponent. Dante looked at her curiously wondering if she was alright upstairs. Her wings twitched and fluttered as she laughed. Before anything else could be said something silver came flying at them. Adara just reached up and caught the staff. Twirling it around in her hands she held it out in a fighting stand ready to face the youngest of the Sparda twins. They stood there sizing each other up.
"Will you finish what your twin failed to do?" Adara asked him.
Dante wasn't in the least bit shocked that Adara had run across his brother in the past. What made him curious was that she was able to walk away from the battle alive. "Vergil seemed to think I wasn't worth his time to kill even though one more stroke from his katana would have sent me to hell."
"That sounds like Vergil."
"Let's get this pointless stupidity over and done with."
"As you wish."
He placed his hand on Alastor's hilt and got down in a fighting stance. Adara matched his stance with her Bostaff. A shiver went through her wings before she leapt forward and slammed into Dante. He had Alastor up blocking her weak assault.
"Fighting like this no wonder Vergil saw you the way he did."
"Vergil saw me at my very worst."
She pushed him backwards and leapt up into the air. Her wings flapped frantically to keep her aloft. The strain going through her unused wings was starting to get to her. Before she could even counter an attack Dante slammed into her knocking her to the ground. His bat like wings flapped slowly. Adara caught herself and shot up at him her Bostaff clattered to the ground and she lashed out at him with her claws. Her claws met skin and blood. She leapt backwards looking at her bloodied hands in horror. Her eyes came up to meet the dark eyes of the half-devil before her. The scent of his strong blood was starting to wear on her senses. She was sure that shards of red were seeping into her eyes. She'd managed to make Vergil bleed too. The scent of the blood made her think back to the day her adopted son had died. She bared her fangs at the half-blood and leapt forward slamming into Dante. It became a battle of claws. It ended as quickly as it started with Dante hurtling the snarling demon into the ground. She was brought back from her blood induced rage when the bones in her wings snapped. The half-blood had his sword to her throat before she could rise. The crowd was silent. A small trickle of blood dripped down her throat. Her wings were twitching in pain.
"Finish it!" someone yelled.
Nero watched on knowing that Dante wouldn't finish a fight like this. There was no honor in kicking the demoness when she was down. The crowd stood and started chanting 'Finish It!' with loud abandon. Dante backed away from the downed demoness as the red vanished from her eyes. She sat up and held her shoulders. Blood was dripping from her wings were the bones had broken through the skin. Dante held out his hand to her. She took it and he helped her to her feet.
"These battles are to the death Dante."
"I'm giving you a chance to walk away Adara."
"If I could walk away from this Dante I would."
She pulled up her sleeve revealing a tattoo with a feather that was wrapped in chains. "As long as I bare this mark I will not be free. I will have to keep fighting until someone stronger than I comes and ends my life."
Dante snorted at her sob story.
"Fight back."
"To fight back I'd have to murder."
"Don't tell me that thought makes you squeamish?"
"If I murder someone Dante I'll become like the person that killed my son."
She rose and her wings stretched with a wet crack. Something went whistling past her and she caught it in mid air. It was an Arabian style sword. Despite the pain in her wings she leapt forward. The smaller blade clanged against Alastor's superior strength. Just like Dante's blade her was created by demons. The auras around the blades were clashing and showering the combatants in sparks. Dante was able to force her backwards. She caught herself and landed on her feet. Her free hand was digging into the loose sand. The sword was facing backwards. Adara leapt for him again. In defense Dante brought Alastor up to block the attack.
"What drives you to fight?" Dante asked.
"The need to protect."
In her eyes red shards were appearing again.
"Then protect something."
Her sword was forced from her hands by Alastor's weight. The wet sounds of metal piercing flesh made both of them jerk towards the sound. Hal was holding his chest coughing up blood. A grimace was plastered on his face before he pitched forward. Nero was smirking behind his hand. Dante was standing there with a cocky smirk on his face.
"I'm missing something aren't I?" she said with a grimace as she rose.
"With as many devil's you've taken out I'm surprised you wouldn't recognize one before you."
"His scent told me he wasn't entirely human but I assumed what ever was in his blood was less than anything I've ever felt."
Nero pulled the bloodied blade from the man's chest and leapt over the wall to join his companions. The spectators were silent as the dead.
"There's a bounty on this devil's head," Nero supplied for her.
Adara looked at both devils in bewilderment. Hal couldn't have been anything powerful as they were making him out to be. The case had to be something special for a hunter as skilled as Dante to take it on. Before any more words could be said Hal rose from the stands. He had shot up about ten feet and stumbled forward towards the two hunters and demon.
"I can't believe you talked me into this Nero. This isn't really worth it."
"I'll flip you for the kill," Nero stated calmly.
Nero was about ready to pull out a coin when Dante held one up in his face.
"Call," Dante said as he tossed it.
"Tails."
It landed in Dante's hands. It was heads. Dante smirked as he stepped forward with Alastor on his shoulder.
"This shouldn't take long ladies."
With a cocky strut he moved forward ready to dish out some punishment. Adara watched in complete fascination.
"You know the coin was heads on both sides right?" she asked cautiously.
"I know. He needs to have some fun once in awhile."
Adara watched as Dante moved so fast that Hal's head slid neatly from his shoulders and vanished in a cloud of dust. Dante came back dusting himself off. Nero and Adara looked at each other for a moment then back at Dante and started laugh. The demoness sobered up quickly though.
"I owe you now Dante," she told the hunter once he stood beside them.
"I was after the bounty not you."
She rolled her eyes. Wincing in pain her wings vanished. "Come on I could use a beer."
Adara shook her head as she led them upstairs. Her partner looked at her in confusion.
"A round of beers on me for these two."
He just nodded and got the silver haired pair a beer. The two drank their beer and left heading back to DMC. They collected the bounty so Dante could get a pizza for dinner.
Every great once in awhile if you pass a darkened ally that has a red flickering sigh you'll see a white falcon with black spots on its wings watching over the place with unflinching golden eyes.