The Best at What They Do
A Marvel vs. Capcom Fanfic
By: Shadowfox83
Disclaimer: The characters in the following tale are all property of Marvel Comics and Capcom.
Author's Note: After having spent some time with Marvel vs. Capcom 3 I still have no concrete team but there are two of the cast that have easily become my top favorites. The following short tale centers on those two, Dante and X-23 with potential spoilers for 23/Laura's arcade ending.
Despite standing at top of the planet-devourer's fallen form her "father", if one wanted to call him that, didn't seem too impressed with her tremendous (and that was an understatement) victory something that as she had mentioned was a feat that even he in all his battles had failed to replicate, powerful words indeed considering his illustrious battle history.
Then again he always seemed to be like this. It annoyed her and had killed off some of her victory-born confidence due to how uninterested he was and how quickly he had given up the title that she had been pursuing for so long. To be his equal…no rather to surpass him in strength and skill she had busted her back side for so long and even now had teamed up with two powerful allies gotten what she had wanted and yet his lack of interest…
"Just like that?" she asked him a dead serious look in her eyes.
"Like I said kid you want it it's yours. Why the hell you putting up so much of a damn argument? Isn't that what you've been chasing after anyway?"
His tone while serious also came off as a bit slurred she contemplated that perhaps it being so early in the morning affected his demeanor. She knew he wasn't a really a morning person…then again he wasn't really sociable to begin with so.
"Figured you'd put up more of a fight."
"Tch, don't be stupid Laura. You always claimed to be the "second best" so who the hell else would I willingly drop a moniker like that to."
Laura, her true name not her serial number, whenever he said it she always stood in attention. Almost as if he was the only one worthy of using it…still he had a point this is what she wanted after all.
After running a hand through her lengthy locks of raven hair she leaped off the fallen deity's form to meet the man, or rather mutant, in eye.
"Sorry about the mess." She stated with a briefly noticeable grin, a bit of her lost confidence back.
"Whatever. Just get this purple junk pile off the lawn already."
Honestly it was too early in the morning to be dealing with this sort of thing.
"Looking back we really should have paid better attention to where the purple planet eater was going to land."
To her credit she instantly recognized that particular vocal tone her "father" however didn't turning to his side she could easily make out the sniff of the air and a slight growl under his breath.
"Sorry about that but if you're looking for someone to help clean up the mess afraid that's out of my line of business."
Unfortunately she didn't really get a chance to explain who this newcomer was and his charming attitude wasn't helping much to smooth things over long enough for her to explain. She did her best though, just like in everything else she ever did.
"His name's Dante. He's a Devil Hunter from that other world. He was one of the ones that assist me in taking down Galactus."
With the tension a little thinner Laura explained everything to the man beside her called Wolverine (although she knew him more as Logan). As she did so Dante recalled her mentioning him once or twice in their battle travels.
So that was the man she had been attempting to succeed? He had to admit Logan had a strong presence to him and considering what Laura was to him it was rather obvious he'd be in for a real hell of a party if the two of them ever fought one another. But that was for another day entirely.
"Not much I can do personally but I think our incoming friend can work something out."
The two mutants followed the white-haired man's gaze upward eventually spotting the newest arrival.
Iron Man or as most of the world also knew him as billionaire playboy, Tony Stark
"Ah so this is where he landed. Seems I'll have to apologize to Xavier later…Pepper's not going to be pleased with this…" Stark stated muttering the latter of his words under his breath.
"Well then I'm sure you all can take care of things from here on."
The devil hunter smiled turning away just as Stark landed, his crimson-colored coat flowing in the wind as he did so.
"Wait! Where are you going, Dante?" Iron Man asked annoyed that Dante was perfectly content with leaving everything to him and Laura.
"Me? The fun's over for now so I'm heading back to my place." He said looking back at the others the pleased look from before still ever present.
"Like I said clean up isn't my thing instead why don't you take care of it or maybe you ask one of those…Hulks was it? I'm sure they'd have no problem moving around the big fella for ya."
Stark sighed in utter annoyance yet before he could shoot out any sort of response he'd be beaten to the punch.
"So you're headed back to your world then?" Laura surprisingly asked.
"Pretty much yeah"
"…I'll join you then."
Wolverine stared over at her curiously and while she couldn't make out Stark's expression due to his helmet she was sure inside he must have had a "you can't be serious" look on his face.
The devil hunter paused briefly to ask why she'd consider such a move.
"I'm curious as to what challenges I can find over in your world."
Dante took in her explanation for a moment while Tony urged if she was in fact doing the right thing. Logan however didn't seem to care as much as he still waited for someone anyone to get the space god off the front lawn.
"Sorry Stark we were partners for a while but you're not going to decide things for me. I'm heading off with Dante."
She didn't get too far before she paused however.
"Hey kid, give 'em hell on the other side. You've earned it."
"Tch, sure."
Guess he did care in his own way after all she thought as she walked up to the devil hunter.
"You alright with leaving just like that"
"Yeah there isn't much of a place for me here anyway…" she said taking one last look back at Tony and Logan, the two of them no doubt arguing over a few things, Galactus still lying in a defeated position and the manor far behind them all.
Dante wasn't sure what she had meant by that last part but he wasn't about to pry. If she didn't want to talk about it then she didn't want to talk about it…
As the trip back to his place went on Laura realized the man wasn't kidding when he stated that the ride back would take some time. She knew the two of them had already spent several days on the open road. At Laura's request however they did their best to avoid being noticed by the common folk.
The devil hunter was quick to catch on that in her world her and the rest of mutant kind weren't exactly treated with open arms and given the supernatural abilities he possessed due to his old man's blood well shoot why stir up the hornet's nest. He owed her that much at least…
After having crossed over at long last the two of them found themselves at the doorsteps of Devil May Cry, Dante's own personal business.
Looking it over Laura noted that the outlook of the building appearing to her to be rather average in just about every way. Then again she knew full well as did her enemies that things were never as they seem.
She was surprised however when the man invited her in…after kicking in his own doorway! Shrugging with a nod she entered along side the owner of the place.
Now inside Laura noticed that Dante didn't really have much going inside his residence. A pool table, a rather worn-in television, a front desk, and was that a bar she could make out in the distance?
Nothing too strange and she wondered why she had originally envisioned his place to be some sort of big spectacle when in reality nothing really jumped out at her in such a way. Instead she came to like the mild and simplistic décor. The more she thought it over the more it became apparent that this was definitely a place where she could fit right in…
"There you are."
Her thoughts were interrupted however when she overheard a feminine voice calling out to the white-haired male.
"Heh, well now it isn't too much of a surprise seeing you here, Lady."
The lady mentioned was a slender yet skillful looking young woman. A simple plat styled mini-skirt, combat boots, pair of brown gloves, and a white dress-shirt were all she wore but what Laura came to notice the most was the short-haired woman's two-tone eyes.
Blue on her right and red on her left both however were staring a hole through the devil hunter.
"Next time you take something of mine I suggest you ask first!" she yelled out making sure to catch the man's attention.
"Ha yeah guess I did kind of run off with it."
It, what was IT? Laura wondered until he unveiled the bazooka he had been carrying. Amazingly she had almost completely forgotten that he was carrying that sucker with him.
"Now before you say anything no I brought it back good as gold not that you would have let me take it with me anyway. So I thought to myself hell might as well just nab it and return it without a scratch."
The woman…or Lady was obviously still upset with him but reluctantly accepted the cherished weapon back into her waiting arms. She did however state that if she found any damages she'd add the cost of repairs to the debt he still owed her.
While she couldn't say she wasn't curious with what went one between the two of them Laura figured like Dante back at the manor that it really wasn't any of her concern so she left it at that.
As it turns though Lady wasn't the only visitor and it didn't take long for anyone not to notice the blonde woman stepping in from the back of the main room.
"I figured you'd be back by now, Trish."
"You always know how to keep yourself entertained don't you. Taking down an intergalactic god is just another day at work isn't it?"
They didn't always agree with one another but he found himself hard press to disagree with her this time around.
"Well you know how it goes, same crap different day."
"Indeed" the leather-clad Trish stated as she walked by running a hand through her golden locks as she did so. For the moment her eyes were more concerned with the one standing behind Dante.
"And you are?"
"Ah this is…"
Laura quickly cut the man off introducing herself simply as X-23. Trish didn't seem to care or mind at all at the particular "name". Lady however thought otherwise, was she a kindred spirit perhaps, yet decided against speaking to the young woman about it at least for now anyway.
Leaving the three women to possibly chat away Dante quickly yet silently excused himself from the conversation now that he was back home there'd be plenty of time to as usual argue with both Lady and Trish. But that was better saved for later quite frankly at the moment all he wanted was a little private time alone…
"Dante, you're back!"
Well so much for that.
A young blonde-haired pink party dress wearing girl, who couldn't be no older then ten-years of age, came rushing down the steps wasting little time in hugging what she could of the much taller man.
"Looks like I got a full house today." Dante muttered as he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Still deep down the man was indeed happy to see the familiar little girl once more.
"How you been kiddo?" he asked her after she had let him go.
"I'm fine. I stopped by a few days ago but strangely the only person around was Lady. She sure did seem mighty upset though." the child stared at him almost as if she instantly knew he was to blame for the woman's sudden anger. Dante as expected refused to comment on the matter.
"But eventually we found out that you and Trish were off in another world doing who knows what! You had me worried Dante!"
He found himself chuckling as she pounded away at his mid-section.
"Well I'm back now so does it really matter, Patty?"
The child seemingly agreed as she gave him yet another quick hug. Suddenly something occurred to Dante.
"Hold on kiddo how did you and Lady find out where Trish and I went off to?"
It didn't take long for him to get his answer…but it wasn't exactly from Patty.
"I can answer that, Mister Devil Hunter."
At top of the stairway he found yet another woman meeting his curious gaze.
'A full house and an extra ace tucked away for good measure.' He thought amusingly.
"It was I who explained the happenings of our worlds to the two of them."
The short-haired brunette stated as she descended part of the way. To Dante she appeared to be about as tall as Lady with a somewhat similar build but it was obvious to him that's where the similarities ended.
This new woman had on a full body spandex suit that complimented her figure rather well in his honest opinion. It reminded him of the attire of a few of those "super heroes" from that other world wore. Hers however was a deep black with a few plates of gold around her midsection and breast area. It got his attention in more ways then one.
Her blue as the morning sky eyes glazing downward at him as she greeted him with the simplest yet kindest of smiles.
"With a smile like that I'm hoping you're one of the nice ones." He ever so charmingly stated.
"My deepest apologizes but I'm not exactly sure I know what you mean by that?" It was her turn to eye him curiously.
"In any case my name's Janet Van Dyne I'm also known as "The (Winsome) Wasp", it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
She said extending out a singular hand towards him.
"…and maybe you've heard of my teammates, Captain America, Iron Man, and The Mighty Thor just to name a few."
The devil hunter chuckled for a moment before shaking Janet's hand.
'Yup its official I'm never going to meet one of the nice ones…' he amusingly admitted to himself as he and Janet traded handshakes with one another.
Closing Notes: I'm not sure if I consider it my best but I'm very proud with the outcome of this story since it marks the first time I've ever written anything for all the characters involved. My apologizes if anyone felt a little off in personality as I was working with what I currently knew about them.
As stated before this came about because I felt the need to write something featuring Dante and Laura, who were already favorites of mine with the game just elevating their status. Anyone else is due to either being in the game or because I'm a fan and I felt their cameos would add to the story, also for humor purposes as we see at the end that Dante has found himself surrounded by a bunch of ladies.
In any case just want to say to those that read this I can only hope you enjoyed this short story and if you were ever so kind as to drop off a review, doesn't matter if it's detailed or simplistic anything's fine really. Once again thanks for reading.