Chapter One

The pink neon sign which spelled out the words 'Devil May Cry' flickered slightly as heavy rain beat down upon the darkened city. Inside the shop a slender young raven-haired woman who we will call Toni, was on up a stool cleaning one of the ghastly displays which decorated the far wall.

At the desk a sliver haired fifteen year old boy, with eyes curiously different shades of blue, the left being light blue and the right being dark blue, sat reading a book. Then the phone rang, breaking the comfortable silence which had over come the shop. Toni turned to look down at the phone. "Theo, answer the phone" she said sounding a little more aggravated then one really should have been in the current situation.

Theo, without breaking eye contact with the book he was reading, picked up the receiver. "Devil May Cry, we kick demon ass" he said dryly, in a somewhat business-like tone.

"Theo" Toni scolded.

Theo mouthed at her that he was only joking and then quickly said into the receiver; "Devil May Cry, how may we be of service."

Toni returned to her polished, obviously satisfied with Theo's response.

"He's not here right now" she heard Theo say, "I don't know where he is. He's out on a job. I don't know…he'll be back when he's back…stop yelling at me. I don't care if it's urgent, he's not here and there's nothing we can do about it. No we can't send someone else…"

These last two sentences caused Toni to turn back around in concern. She was in the process of climbing down from her stool when he yelled; "Yeah well same to you!" and slammed the receiver down. Toni marched over to the desk, folding her arms and she glowered down at the huffing teenager.

"Just what was that all about?"

"It's nothing Toni, just some guy claiming to have an urgent situation. If it was a demonic urgent situation I seriously doubt he'd still be alive" Theo replied. Toni seemed to relax a little bit although not thoroughly convinced. "Still, you can't treat the clients like that" she said. Theo leaned back in the chair, "Why not?" he questioned, "Dad does to his clients from time to time…"

Toni scowled and in a rather violent manner picked up an empty soda bottle that was previously just sitting innocently on the desk. "We'll not be following your dad's example any time soon. I have a feeling people only put up with that sarky attitude of his because he's good at what he does." She turned on her heel and went in through the back door, probably to the kitchen in search of the bottle recycle bin.

Theo slouched in his chair…well his father's chair – but he had decided at the age of five that when his father was out, that chair became his. It was really quite comfortable, if only the room in which the chair was in had a more homey feel to it, he could probably fall asleep right then and there.

Alas, no such luck. The front doors swung open letting in cold air and some of that damned rain from outside. A tall blonde man strolled in and the wind blew the doors back shut. Theo stared at the man who had just entered, a bit taken aback. "Can I…help you?" Theo asked when the man didn't say anything. The man strolled forward until he was standing right in front of the desk, then looked down.

"Interesting, you look just like him…"

"Huh?" Theo furrowed his brow in confusion. Who the hell was this man?

The man's gaze drifted to look around the shop, "I was under the impression that this place was called 'Devil Never Cry' at least was when I came here…"

"You know Dante?" Toni asked emerging from the back.

"He helped me and my sister out about twelve years ago" the man replied, "Of course, I didn't see much of you two back then…"

"We don't always hang out here you know," Theo replied, "Besides, twelve years ago? I was like 3…"

The man laughed, "True" he said. "Yes, well I haven't seen Dante in person since then but I have spoken to him recently via phone. I…have something he was looking for. I've come here to give it to him…"

"You came here just to drop off something? With your strangely dramatic double door entrance?" Theo questioned. Toni placed a calming hand on the boy's shoulder. The man laughed again, he seemed to find everything that came out of Theo's mouth considerably hilarious. "I can see that you are truly his son…"

"Had your doubts did you?" Theo uttered dryly under his breath.

"Care to provide us with a name?" Toni asked, steering the conversation to something that would not spark Theo off into a heavily sarcastic mode.

"Yes of course, excuse my rudeness…I am Henry. Just Henry in case you ask for a last name, I didn't provide Dante with a last name when we met so I assume it's alright now."

Toni smiled, "It's nice to meet you Henry, why don't you give us what you came to give Dante and we'll pass it onto him…"

"I'm afraid I can't do that…"

"Why not?"

"It has to go to him directly"

Toni fell silent and seemed to consider this for a moment. Theo sat in the chair waiting for her to respond, the only noise that could be heard was the wind and rain faintly outside. "Theo honey…why don't you run upstairs and get that black book off my bedside table…"

"But…" Theo had started to protest but Toni shot him one of her glares that threatened serious pain to come if you did not do what she asked. Theo rose out of the chair, eyeing "Henry" suspiciously and then turned and left through the back door. Toni sighed and rubbed her temples; "I'm sorry about that…"

Henry chuckled as he observed the stressed out young woman standing before him. "What's so funny?" Toni asked a bit confused.

"It's nothing…it's just…aren't you a little young to be wife to Dante and mother to such a grown up son?"

Toni was shocked. Oh, shock and horror why would someone say such a thing? "Oh my god! No!" Toni exclaimed, "I'm not…I'm not Theo's mother…and I'm not romantically tied to Dante in any way. I just watch Theo and the shop while he's gone…besides – I've taken a vow of celibacy…"

"Celibacy?" now it was Henry's turn to be confused.

"I'm with the Sisterhood of Light"

"A priestess?"

"I know I don't look it, but I am. I'm dressed like this to blend in more" Toni said regarding her jean skirt and camouflage tee, "In fact the only real contact I have with my Order is through letters. I agreed when Theo was born to follow one of my sisters down here, she had agreed to nurse him until he could solid food. And then when she went back, I knew that someone had to stay and help raise Theo…Dante's work…he's just not around often enough…" Toni drifted to a stop after she'd realized how much she had just ranted.

Henry however didn't seem to want to let he subject drop. "Did you know his mother?" he inquired.

"She was our songstress…Alta and the others didn't agree to her liking of Dante one bit…she was supposed to have taken that vow as well…" Toni replied.

"Why was he there?"

"We were having some demon problems…he offered to help us out…"

"Offered? Doesn't seem like him…"

"Okay…there was some money involved…but he did offer…just as long as he got something out of it…"

"Were Dante and Theo's mother married?"

"How long are you going to pummel me with questions?" Toni asked, getting slightly annoyed, "I've already told you far more you need to know. It really isn't any of your business…"

"You're right…I'm sorry. Why did you send Theo upstairs?"

Toni sighed, another question. But this one she didn't mind answering, not really. "To get my contact book to see if I put Dante's emergency contact number in there. You said this was urgent…"

"It is" Henry said with a nod.

The two then heard Theo running down the stairs and it was not too long before he came bursting into the room. "I…have…it…" he said between pants and then straightened up to hand the book to Toni, "and it wasn't on your bedside table."

"Wasn't it? Oh sorry about that…" Toni said slightly amused by Theo's completely worn out expression.

Just then, three scythe wielding demons came crashing in through the front window, the snarled and clutched their weapons advancing threateningly on the trio…

"Awh man, we just repaired that window last week!" Theo groaned.

Toni pushed Henry towards the back door telling him to hide himself, she then frantically turned to Theo. "Theo! Bottom right drawer!"

Theo rushed to behind the desk and pulled open a drawer and took out a small black handgun. He tossed it to Toni who aimed the gun at the closest demon and open fired. It seemed to injure it considerably but only anger it's comrades more. One of them lunged forward and hit Toni with the back end of its scythe sending her flying into a couple of shelves and the gun skidding across the floor. Theo dove for the gun and upon claiming it, rolled over on his back and opened fire on the demon which had thrown itself at him. At the same exact moment he managed to blow the advancing demon away he swore he could have heard the skidding of tires on the road outside. But his attention was soon drawn the third demon flying right at him. He pulled the trigger, the gun was out of bullets. The demon was so close, he panicked, he closed his eyes…

WHAM.

Theo opened his eyes in surprise and saw a flurry of red material jumping through the window and finishing off what was left of the other two demons with familiar sound pistols. He then turned and saw that the demon which had been previously trying to attack him was pinned against the wall by a familiar looking sword.

Toni groaned as she sat up, rubbing the back of her head. "Ow…"

Dante placed Ebony and Ivory in their holsters as he looked scornfully down at the remaining demon parts.

Theo stood up slowly and Henry poked his head out of the back door; "Is it safe to come out yet?" he asked.

Dante smirked; "Yeah…any of you girls hurt?"

Theo was not amused.

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