The night was cold and dark. Dante shivered as he sat at his desk, leaning back slightly in his leather chair. Music was playing loudly from his worn stereo speakers. He yawned and closed his eyes, thinking that while he was sitting around he may as well get some sleep. His thoughts started drifting to his past and his bizarre heritage.
His father had been a devil. But a devil with a difference. One who had been able to wake up to justice and deliver the mortal humans from evil. He smiled wryly. Damn that sounded almost like a prayer. And deliver us from evil…
Dante slowly opened his eyes as he became more and more aware of how cold it was becoming. The draft that was playing against his face was now becoming far from comforting. He looked around to see whether Trish had opened a window. Instead, he saw a dark hooded figure at the door. He sat bolt upright and stood up, his hand straying automatically to his sword.
'Password?' he said immediately, thinking that it was another customer. Good, he thought. I could do with some action. The newcomer slowly unshielded its face. His eyes met with Dante's for a split second before his eyes drifted around the room, looking like a kid who had walked into a toy store for the first time. There was something pure about his whole demeanour. Something almost innocent. Dante brushed off his musings and then walked towards him, gun pointing at him threateningly.
'You can't come in here unless you know the password,' he said gruffly. The guy looked at him almost bewildered.
'A password? But I don't know about any password.'
'Then tough luck…you're out of here.'
'You can't just kick me out,' he said. His voice was filled with indignation. It amused him slightly. Another thin smile played across his features.
'Just watch me.' He grabbed him roughly and started pushing him out forcefully. He had no intention of using his guns. It was a waste of good ammo. Trish came storming down from upstairs, obviously about to complain about something. She took in the scene quickly.
The white haired devil was obviously annoyed about something or another. A hostile expression had come over his face and he was forcing a kid out. He looked no older then 18 or so. His brown eyes looked at her imploringly for a second before they switched back onto Dante. They were filled with urgency.
'I was told to come to you.'
'Oh yeah? Now where have I heard that before. Now listen, we only do business with certain people.' The kid wrestled himself out of his grasp. His eyes seemed to glow red for a split second before a red aura surrounded his body. Dante drew back from him, his eyes cold and flinty, like steel. Trish watched on calmly. Working with Dante had taught her that in this kind of work there was no such thing as fear, just the ambition to do well and to do the job well.
The flames began to die down. The kid looked startled. Before he could make another move, Dante pounced on him and pinned him to the ground using his superhuman strength.
'I think you'd better tell us who told you to come here.' The kid shook his head.
'I can't do that.'
'Why not?' He said nothing but gazed up at the blank ceiling numbly, showing that he wouldn't answer.
'Let him up Dante. What's your name, kid?' Trish looked at him curiously as he looked at her almost shyly.
'Arson.' He replied after a moment of hesitation. Dante had to bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. He raised his eyebrows and continued to smile at Trish. Trish ignored him completely.
'Okay…now, why are you here?' Arson's eyes darkened slightly. He looked at the two almost as though he was lost.
'Uhm…well…I don't know where to begin.' He scratched his head still looking faintly confused. Dante rolled his eyes.
'Try from the beginning.'
'I can't do that.'
'Why not?'
'Uhm…I can't explain.'
'Seems there's a lot you can't do. But what I'm interested in is why a devil like you would practically come knocking on a door and begging for your death. You do realize what this place is, right?' Arson nodded dumbly.
'I thought that if it meant being able to save yourself from death in the future now, you'd be willing to team up with one half of your lineage. After all, I know what you are. Born from the spawn of hell…' Arson smiled teasingly at this point. 'But then again, maybe you don't want to. Maybe in the future when you see yourself dying and when you're lying in a pool of your own blood. Maybe then, you'd wish that you had listened to me.' Arson slowly got to his feet. Trish noted his clothes this time, wondering where he was from. He was definitely not from around here. Hell, he didn't even look as though he even came from this time. His clothes were black and red. A short leather jacket covered his torso and he wore black jeans. Just underneath his ebony jacket, was a scarlet red, shirt, almost the colour of freshly spilt blood. A crest shone brightly against his dark clothes. It resembled a serpent and a dragon. Arson seemed to wince slightly as the cold wind blew in from the open window. He turned to glare at the door and it slammed shut almost immediately.
'That's better. Now listen. I come from the future, where you're already dead. But you died a legend. Trish died shortly before you though, a fatal, tragic accident. You wanted revenge. In fact you craved it so badly you went after him and you were killed in battle. You were the first and the last to stand up to the evil that time.
'I come from a parallel universe, where none of this actually happened. But due to telekinesis, I was able to find this out. In our parallel world, where everything happens opposite to what is happening in your realm, you were still alive, as was Trish. Everyone was living in peace and- ' Dante cut in sharply.
'Woah, woah, woah! Let me get this straight, kid. You come from a different universe?'
'Yes. My birthplace…well it doesn't really exist. You see, when you were killed here, you immediately appeared up there. It's like Heaven but it isn't. I can't explain it right now…' Arson looked completely dazed for a minute. He lapsed into silence. Dante shook his head.
'This is crazy. Absolute craziness. C'mon, you don't seriously believe this, do you?' He looked at Trish questioningly. Trish nodded.
'I'm not sure I understand this universe bit but I think that we should listen to him.' Dante groaned. Trish looked at him squarely in the eyes. 'Well, you keep saying you wanted adventure and that you were getting tired of lazing about.'
'Yeah but…he didn't even give the password!' Arson looked faintly amused at the whining tone that Dante's voice was beginning to take. He allowed himself a smile before he caught Dante's warning glare. He immediately slouched back down, looking like a kid who had just been told he wasn't allowed any more candy.
'I swear…I'm telling the truth…I mean, I was told to come here by the elders…because they said that this evil force, that Razzia would take us over. The whole of our race. Please, you've got to help us. I was sent here by them to ask for your help.' Arson looked at Trish and then at Dante. He tilted his head slightly to one side. 'Please? I'm begging you. Not just for me but for all of us. Besides, if anything happened to us then you'd be out of a job. And Dante, you should know that not all of us are bad. I mean, look at your father.' Dante's face suddenly clouded over. Arson could tell he had hit upon a raw nerve. 'You know he was a good man. You know that he was the one who fought off evil long ago. I'm not saying that I'm a Sparda but you should realize that like him, I'm not evil.' Dante looked undecided on the matter. Trish watched his expression closely.
'We'll help. Dante, you'd better go upstairs and get packing. I'm coming up in a while.'
'Hey. Are you ordering me?' Trish smiled at him challengingly.
'Perhaps…' Despite himself, Dante backed off, grumbling slightly to himself. Trish turned back to look at Arson. Despite the different hair and eye colour, she could see that there was some kind of resemblance between him and Dante. It was almost uncanny. She frowned at him. Arson appeared not to notice. He beamed at her.
'Thank you. I know that you both don't trust me at the moment but I guess I'll just have to prove myself to you. You'll see. I do know what I'm talking about.'
'You know I don't believe any of that "other-world" crap. Where have you really come from?' Arson said nothing for a while. At last, he shook his head, his dark brown eyes firm.
'I can't tell you that.'
'Maybe you can't tell him but I know that something else is up. Now tell me, what's your secret?' Arson gulped nervously and started backing away towards the door. Trish had never seen a devil act so timid.
'I can't say.' Trish pushed him relentlessly. Her eyes were beginning to harden and her eyes were slightly narrowed so then they were mere slits in her face. Arson finally sighed. 'Fine! I'll tell you as long as you get off my back! If you really have to know I'm-' He suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. 'I've got to go,' he said abruptly. Trish had no time to blink before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Trish gaped at the spot and slowly, as though in a dream joined Dante upstairs to tell him that their recent visitor had disappeared into thin air.