Life after the Merge: Phoenix May Cry
Chapter 1
It had been 3 years after the Merge, and yet some people still haven't gotten used to the idea of two universes united as one. Take a certain white-haired Son of Sparda for example. Ever since the heroes of both worlds banded together to hand Galactus his titanic ass, life has become a little more chaotic at Devil May Cry. Well, that's what you'd expect when you've bunked with a moody female assassin and an obnoxious mercenary.
"Geez, as if Trish and Lady weren't enough." muttered the Devil hunter, clad only in black pants as he was reclining on the sofa in his shoddy shop, his signature red coat hanging in the nearby rack, the ceiling fan rotating sluggishly as the aroma of stale pizza filled the air.
It did seem like a good idea at the time, though; he was looking for some extra hands at the shop, with the number of job requests spiking ever since the Merge. Now, every good demon hunter has to possess two traits; combat skills, and killer instinct. Those two had them in spades, which was why he had hired them out of a list of promising candidates in the first place.
Most of the time, he was thankful for the extra help. However, there were some days, much like this morning, that he wondered what the hell he was thinking when he hired those two...
"Gyaaaaaaaaaah!"
"GET BACK HERE!"
Deadpool, the infamous Merc with the Mouth, sprinted into Dante's office in fear, clutching what seemed to be his left arm, severed and flailing as he ran. "Dammit! We just started this fanfic, and already I lose a limb? Screw you, author! I'M GOING TO SUE!" shouted the masked merc to no one in particular (You're welcome, by the way), as he hid behind the sofa.
Hot on his heels was Laura Kinney (a.k.a X-23), genetic clone of the famous X-Man/Avenger Wolverine, her slender frame covered by only a bath towel . Her emerald eyes were glowing with murderous intent, her long raven-black hair disheveled, and her claws extended, trickling with the blood of her prey. Dante was watching this entire scene from his relaxing position, so glad he wasn't Deadpool right now.
"WADE! I know you're in here!" She growled as she surveyed the room, sniffing the air as she paced about. A moment later, a sinister grin etched her features as she approached the sofa, picking up momentum as she came nearer. "FOUND YOU!" she yelled as she leapt, her foot claws extended as she delivered a jumping axe-kick to the unfortunate piece of furniture. Dante sighed as he Air Tricked out of the way (closing his eyes as he did so, for Laura's sake as well as his own) as the poor sofa was sliced in half, revealing a very frightened, squealing Deadpool.
"Did you really think you could squirm away from me that easily?!" X-23 asked as she got up to swing her claws at the mercenary, "Enhanced sense of smell, remember?!"
"Then you must have smelled the bacon!" quipped the merc as he dodged all X-23's blows "Logan did love his bacon. I also love bacon. And pancakes. Especially bacon pancakes. Speaking of which, there's a song about that..."
Laura swung with a roundhouse kick which Deadpool evaded, flipping into the living room table as he was trying to remember that song "Hmm...how does it go again?"
X-23 charged wildly, her hands a blur as she executed rapid strikes with the intention of skewering her annoying adversary. Deadpool, however, was way too quick for the female mutant. At the last blow, he back flipped out of the table near the windows.
"Will you ever shut up?!" X-23 yelled exasperated as she kicked the table up in the air, then punted it as it hung in mid-air, turning it into a virtual projectile. Deadpool was barely able to duck as the table flew past him, the shattering of glass signifying yet another broken window.
"Hey, I remember now!" Deadpool began to sing as he danced around her, evading all her attacks and pushing an already aggravated Laura Kinney to the edge. "Bacon Pancakes, making Bacon Pancakes! Take some Bacon and you put it in a Pancake! Bacon Pancakes, that's what's it gonna make Bacon Pancaaaaaa-yeaugh!"
Laura managed to block out his inane blabbering just long enough to tackle Wade into the floor. She entered a mounted position (Deadpool: Oooh, kinky!), ready to hack Deadpool apart limb from limb (DP: Not the face, not the face!). She would've done just that had Dante not fired a warning shot from his handgun Ebony.
"Okay, enough!" Dante got up from his desk, having teleported there when the fracas began, moving towards the parties responsible for the mess as they both stood up. "This was fun at first, but do you know how many times I've had to replace the couch?" He noted that he would also have to get a new table. And a window. "Ugh, Lady would just love this." He thought to himself.
"So," Dante asked Deadpool "Did you peep at Laura in the shower again?" "I so did not!" retorted the madman, crossing his one good arm "...Okay, maybe a little. But just a little! I mean, this was bound to happen soon or later! It's obvious the author has a weird X-23 fetish he doesn't tell his friends about! That's why he wrote everything that way for his own twisted amusement!"
Dante looked at the merc incredulously, completely unable to comprehend what Deadpool just said. "Right, I'll just pretend I didn't hear that." He then directed his attention to X-23, who had already sheathed her claws, in a scolding manner "And you, young lady. What did I tell you about decapitating other people?"
"You said, and I quote, 'No decapitating civilians!'" retorted the mutant teen "Deadpool, as we all know, is not a civilian. Certainly, he's anything BUT civil. Therefore," She unsheathed the claws in her right arm and pointed them at Wade, her expression grim. "I can cut him up as many times as I want to."
"Wow, you just went X-Force on me, wolverette." remarked Deadpool "You know, maybe all that rage came from your dark and lonely past. Or from your failed crush on Julian Keller. Or because you never made it to EVO as a popular character. Or maybe-"
The merc stopped in mid-ramble as Laura, with her foot claw drawn out, kicked him in the nether regions, finally shutting him up. The pain, as you can imagine, was unbearable as Deadpool dropped like a fly, doubling over and moaning in agony.
"Owww, the crown jewels!"
"Laura, go get changed. Now." Laura said no more, only offering an irritated grunt as she sheathed her claws and strode towards her room in a huff. After she left, Dante surveyed the collateral damage his two co-workers caused. "I swear, they're more trouble than their worth sometimes."
He turned his attention to a still writhing-in-pain Deadpool. He went to him and offered him a helping hand. "Come on, get up. You still got an arm to reconnect" said the half-demon as he reached out for the downed merc. Deadpool got himself up, reattached his arm, and dusted himself off. "You good?" "Yeah, I'm cool. Somehow." replied Wade.
"Good, 'cause you're buying lunch" Dante said, smirking as he watched a grumbling Deadpool walk over to the phone to order pizza for their dysfunctional team.
~0~
Tokyo, Japan
CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of steel clashing against steel rang in the air as two warriors were engaged in a duel to the death. Two katanas flashed like lightning, their wielders moving so fast it was impossible to follow their movements.
Vergil, Brother to Dante and a Son of Sparda, had thought that this was going to be a simple operation; retrieve the Genma Samonji, an ancient blade boasting of considerable demonic power, from one of the Hand's secret bases.
How the Hand obtained such a weapon and what they intended to do with it, no one can say. Vergil couldn't care less, though. All they did was making sword easy for him to locate.
He had no difficulty infiltrating the base, making quick work of any Hand Ninja he encountered along the way. He made his way to the room it was being kept in, attracting the attention of two Hand ninjas guarding the weapon. Not even bothering to unsheathe his katana Yamato, he quickly conjured two blue, ethereal swords floating behind him. "Be gone!" With one quick motion, the swords flew and impaled the guards through the heart, each of them uttering a cry of agony as they went limp and died.
He stepped up to take the Genma Samonji from it's pedestal. He held up the greatsword to get a better look at it, admiring the quality of the blade. He also felt the demonic energy humming from the blade, manifesting itself in an orange glow coating the massive black blade.
"Yes, this shall make a fine weapon" thought Vergil as he strapped the weapon into his back as he made his getaway. All in all, an easy mission, right?
Perhaps too easy. What he hadn't counted on, however, was attracting the attention of the legendary Onimusha, Samanosuke Akechi, who also raided the Hand base to liberate the weapon. Having seen Vergil run off with his prize, Samanosuke was hot on his heels.
The red armored samurai gave chase to the half-demon, catching up with him atop the rooftops of the Japan Branch of the Rand Corporation. "What do you want with the Genma Samonji?" Samanosuke asked, wary of the white-haired interloper. "That sword is not meant for mere mortals to wield!"
"What I intend for this sword is none of your business. Now stand aside!" said Vergil, directing his trademark icy glare at the samurai, his left hand resting on Yamato.
"I am afraid I cannot do that." the legendary samurai drew his katana and entered a battle stance, the Oni gauntlet on his right hand glowing ominously "Now, surrender the Genma Samonji or face my wrath!"
In response, Vergil crouched into a battou stance, his cold stare never leaving his opponent "Then you leave me no choice..."
Neither of them moved at first, each of them anticipation the other's move. The tension muffled all sound in the air, all but the trickling of water from a nearby pipe.
Drip, drip, drip
It was at that last drip our combatants charged at each other, bringing us back to the present as the two warriors are now locked in a dance of death.
Vergil drew his blade in a flash as Samanosuke brought down his sword in response. Each drew back to give themselves some breathing room. They paced around each other, measuring their respective opponents, then charged in once again.
What followed was a series of quick strikes from Vergil, overwhelming Samanosuke and forcing him to go on the defense. "Is that all the legendary Onimusha has? I expected more!" Vergil mocked, dodging countering each of the samurai's offensive strikes, slowly backing him into a corner.
Thinking fast, Samanosuke channeled energy from his gauntlet into his blade, transforming it into twin blades that seem to illuminate the night sky, the Tenso. He was able to surprise the half-demon with this change of tactics, using the increased speed to keep up with his adversary.
"It's time I took this a little more seriously." thought Vergil, now utilizing his Trick move, always teleporting after a series of strikes to outmaneuver the red armored samurai.
Samanosuke saw through this tactic, however, and channeled energy to transform the Tenso into a gigantic battle axe known as the Chigo, waiting for the right moment. "Got you!" Catching Vergil as he teleported behind him, he responded with massive horizontal swing from the axe.
Vergil would have been ripped in half had he not brought up Yamato in time to block. Still, the force of the axe threw Vergil a few paces back. He managed to angle his body and land relatively unscathed in a kneeling position.
"Not bad. You certainly live up to the name, Onimusha." remarked Vergil with a devilish grin, getting up and sheathing Yamato to the Onimusha's surprise. "Now, I believe it's time to try out my new toy."
He reached for the Genma Samonji and, with one mighty swing, brought it down to unleash a burst of demonic energy powerful enough to knock Samanosuke to the ground.
The Oni warrior had only begun to get on his feet when Vergil, holding the unholy sword above his head with both hands, reappeared above Samanosuke for what would seem to be an earth shattering strike. The samurai raised the Chigo in defense as the silver-haired warrior came crashing down, but the strength of the blow was still enough to send Samanosuke a few floors below.
Vergil landed on the roof, sheathing the greatsword on his back as he surveyed the damage. "Such power..." he murmured to himself, still in awe at the power this sword commanded
"'He' shall be most pleased." Vergil remembered who commissioned him to retrieve this weapon, and the promise of power his employer had made him once he fulfills his end of the bargain. That did not stop the Son of Sparda from being wary of him, though; his experience with Arkham still fresh on his mind...
As he contemplated on his current situation, his phone rang. Surprised that he'd be getting a call at this time, Vergil picked it up, only to see an unidentified number. Initially perplexed by the mystery caller, the blue clad half-demon answered anyway, a slick voice responding on the other end.
"Hello Vergil."
"You! How did you get this number?"
"Your employer graciously provided me with your contact information." answered the voice on the other end "He didn't seem to mind that I borrow you for my next scheme."
"Whatever you have in mind, I am not interested." responded Vergil, eager to end this conversation as soon as he can. He was in no mood to chat.
"Oh believe me, you will be." continued the caller "I assume you have felt it too? That familiar burning sensation, akin to a flame." Vergil was taken aback, having indeed felt the same thing once while in meditation. "So invigorating, yet so dangerous. You know what I speak off."
Vergil knew that sensation, having once fought with a woman who wielded such power. She was said to have died, but that power still lives, somewhere in the deep recesses of space, consuming everything in it's path. "So, it is coming here?"
"I believe so. And, from what I gather from my sources, a young mutant girl will be the key" said the caller, ready to put the icing on the cake "A war is coming, Son of Sparda, and I intend to be one step ahead. If you want in, I have a plane ready for you at the nearest airport. I'll be waiting."
The caller hung up, leaving Vergil to ponder on his next move. He looked at the Genma Samonji, humming with demonic energy as it glowed. "I suppose he can wait a little while longer." said Vergil, deciding to head for the airport.
As if on cue, Samanosuke emerged from the rubble, his gauntlet glowing and ready for round two. "Ah, you have returned. As much as I want to continue our game," Vergil said as he walked away, his back turned to the samurai "I have pressing matters to attend to. Another time, perhaps."
"Don't you turn your back at me, gaijin!" Samanosuke roared as he charged at Vergil, his sword raised to strike the silver-haired half-demon.
As if he anticipated this, Vergil summoned several ethereal swords, firing them all at once at the lunging samurai.
Samanosuke immediately changed his weapon into the Shipuu, a double-edged naginata capable of summoning powerful winds. He spun around in a circle, conjuring a cyclone that shielded him from the flying swords.
As he emerged from the cyclone, Samanosuke realized that his enemy used those swords as a distraction, taking advantage of the situation to escape.
Samanosuke cursed at his inability to defeat the silver-haired Son of Sparda. He knew now that he had to chase him down. He had to stop him from using the Genma Samonji, no matter what it takes.
~0~
"IT'S MAHVEL, BAYBEH!"
Despite the chaos earlier, the Devil May Cry staff resumed it's daily activities; Dante and Deadpool playing a few rounds of Ultimate Marvel v.s Capcom 3, somehow making do with the broken couch, while Laura sat in a nearby chair reading a book, fully clothed in her usual black tank top, pants and combat boots. All while waiting for the damned phone to ring.
"Hey, Wade! Look, I'm kicking your ass!" Laura only rolled her eyes at that comment; whenever Dante and Deadpool play video games, things become pretty noisy.
"Cheap ass Zero, and his cheap ass lightning! Why didn't Capcom put Mega Man in this game instead of this douchebag?" complained Wade, trying to comprehend why Capcom didn't put in their famed mascot.
"Beats me. I still don't understand what the hell M.O.D.O.K is doing here."
"Yeah! How can anyone take him seriously with his floating head and stubby arms? I mean, he looks like flying marshmallow!"
"Can you guys keep it down? Trying to read here!" Laura facepalmed as the duo roared out in boisterous laughter, unable to keep reading. Yet, she couldn't help but smile inside.
She had been away from the X-Men for a good three years. While she certainly felt at home in Utopia, she felt the same way in this new place. Only this time, she was free to live her life the way she sees fit.
"You want orders? You want missions? Give 'em to yourself for once." Logan once told her. It was only now she understood what he meant.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when the phone (finally) rang. She got up and answered the phone "Devil May Cry?" Even Dante and Wade stopped their gaming, checking to see if there will be action today.
"It's a customer with the number. What should we do?"
"Heh, do you even have to ask?" said Dante as he put on his red trenchcoat with a stylish flair. He holstered his handguns, Ebony and Ivory, at their holsters and strapped his greatsword Rebellion on his back, suited up and ready to go.
"Ooh, ooh! I'm on point!" declared Deadpool with manic glee as he sheathed his twin katanas on his back, bringing a pair of uzis and assorted explosives along for the ride.
"Looks like this won't be such a boring day after all." commented X-23, unsheathing her claws in anticipation of the battle ahead.
"Okay men, we got work to do!" Dante kicked the door to Devil May Cry of it's hinges as the three of them charged at the demon-infested streets guns ablazing.
"Alright, Let's Rock!"
END CHAPTER 1.
A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Life After the Merge: Phoenix May Cry! Had loads of fun writing this and I hope you have a lot of fun reading this as well! If you want to know how everything will play out for our heroes and villains, stay tuned for the next chapter and see what happens next!
Deadpool: Hey! You, writer!
A/N: What? If you're still mad about what happened earlier-
Deadpool: Oh, I'll get back at you for that later. Right now, aren't you forgetting something?
A/N: Hmm, Oh yeah! Almost forgot, All the characters that showed up for this story are owned by Marvel and Capcom. The only thing I own is the story. See ya!