Under the Bridge
The park was huge, really, especially for the size of the town. He watched his boys run right past the statue of himself without even slowing.
The statue amused him for reasons he could barely explain.
Eva had needed to go shopping, pick up things for the birthday party, and she flatly refused to take care of that and the twins, not when she could palm them off on Sparda.
"You're home for once," she had smiled too-sweetly at him, "I think the boys would love to spend the day with you. How about it Dante? Vergil?" she called a little louder. "Do you want to spend the day with Mom, out shopping, or go to the park with Dad?"
Sparda liked how she had changed her tone, using a bored stiff infliction when she said 'shopping' and a bright, chirpy one for the word 'park'.
Naturally, both little boys exclaimed, "Park!" before he could even call her manipulation out.
Humans. Who says devils are the trickier breed?
Still, he wasn't sorry to be able to spend time with his nestlings, especially on their fourth birthday. He often marveled at how much his life had shifted in such a short time. He had lived thousands of years, seen much alteration to the world, but his personal life had changed little until he'd met Eva Redgrave.
He shook his head, not wanting to get distracted by thoughts of his lovely wife and mate. He glanced around for the boys and caught sight of the pair racing towards one of the many elaborate footpath bridges in the park.
He sneaked a glance around and discreetly tricked towards them, not wanting them to get too far ahead. The devil frowned slightly as he neared the bridge, walking casually once more. He smelled something, something he didn't like. Before he could call out to his younger son, Dante had started racing across the bridge, only to be stopped by a large, ugly devil of almost indeterminate shape.
"WHO ARE YOU!?" the lumpy demon asked, halting Dante in his tracks.
"Name's Dante," the little boy answered.
He had never seen a real-life troll before, but that was the only thing this monster could be. It didn't look human, and it didn't look like a devil, at least, not the way his father looked. And the smell! Only trolls smelled like that, right?
"I just wanted to go over there," the little boy explained, tugging on his red jacket nervously.
"NO!" the troll screamed in its gravelly, rumbling voice. "NOW SCRAM BEFORE I EAT YOU!"
Dante hesitated only a moment, then went running back, colliding with his brother, tears streaming down.
Sparda watched the demon appear and reappear without harming his son, and continued approaching slowly. This part of the park was oddly unpopulated by others, but he didn't want to give away his presence here if he didn't need to. Much as he was loathe to admit it, he had kept a very low profile (he hesitated to use the word 'hiding') since marrying Eva. She and the boys were much more precious to him than anything or anyone had ever been in his life, and he knew that he was still a target for vengeance in the demon world. He didn't want to risk his family by needlessly exposing his whereabouts, and any real usage of his power would do just that.
Vergil pushed away his crying twin and dusted at himself.
"Why are you crying now?" his small voice was laced with disgust.
Dante was a crybaby. He got upset over everything.
"There's a troll under the bridge!" he cried, rubbing his dripping nose over Vergil's blue jacket.
He frowned, looking at the mess, then pushed his twin away again. Vergil strode towards the bridge, reached the middle, and was just turning to yell at his brother when a huge thump shook the bridge.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Vergil blinked. Dante had been right; it really was a troll.
He straightened himself, trying to give the troll the cold, hard stare his father used when one of them was in trouble.
"I am Vergil, a-"
"GET OFF MY BRIDGE BEFORE I EAT YOU!"
No one had ever threatened to eat him before, especially not a ten-foot tall troll. He held his ground until the troll took a step towards him.
He ran, breezing past his twin, headed for the safety of his father's arms.
Sparda caught his scared spawn as they smashed into his body. Dante was crying, burying his face, and even Vergil was shaking.
This was too much for the devil to take. He pulled himself from the boys' grasps and strode towards the now-empty bridge himself.
No demon was going to scare and threaten his spawn. Ever.
He stomped onto the bridge and waited for the lesser to show itself.
For the third time, it appeared, screaming, "WHO ARE YOU?!"
Sparda smiled.
"I am the father of two scared boys and the deliverer of your doom."
"GET OFF MY BRIDGE BEFORE I EAT YOU, FILTHY HUMAN!"
"I think not," Sparda calmly replied.
The lumpy demon charged him, roaring. Sparda gracefully sidestepped it, materialized Rebellion, and sliced off its head. The thing howled, the sound outlasting its own dissolution.
He reabsorbed the big claymore and walked back over to his awestruck children. A streak of devilish pride ran through him that his little ones had been so impressed with so little.
He smiled. "I believe the two of you were racing? Which one was winning?"
"I was!" they both cried.
As the disagreement became more vehement, Sparda chuckled.
"You must settle this before we return to your mother. Race again. Start here, cross the bridge, loop around the statue, and come back. Ready? Set. Go!"
Both boys took off, their footsteps thudding across the bridge with no interruption. He shook his head softly and resumed his casual pace behind them.
No need to let them get too far ahead. One never knew what lurked around the next corner, after all.