Disclaimer - I don't own any part of the Devil May Cry franchise. I do, however, own any/all OC's I incorporate into this story, the plot, and most likely anything else you may not recognize (Copyright © xxWARxx).
Small and Fragile Just Got a Wake Up Call
Rain pelted down the streets of Capulet City. Lightning flashed for the umpteenth time that night and thunder boomed loudly. The cold night air ran through the streets, leaving no part untouched with it's chill. All was still in the quiet city, everything…
…except that demon lurking in a dark corner, feeding off a defenseless human female.
The demon was rather large with a mangled and scarred face. The teeth that flashed in the dim light were huge, jagged, and yellow. The claws, the long, sharp, black claws dug into the flesh of that poor women lying lifelessly in the corner.
Her hazel eyes were distant, far away, as if in some alternate universe.
The demon shamelessly wiped his mouth for any stray blood. He licked it from the back of his hand, reveling in how warm and sweet her blood had been, instantly craving more.
He looked over his shoulder to make sure he'd finished her off completely before returning to his human form. His eyes lost the their red and black coloring and went back to being light brown. He picked up his clothes and shoes, slipping on the human garments before quickly walking out of the damp alley.
Ten minutes later, he stumbled across a dirty little bar that wasn't completely packed. His attention was drawn to a small teenager with dark hair sitting at the bar talking to some guy with what appeared to be white hair and an arm in a sling. They seemed to be arguing. The demon smirked before opening the door.
Perfect.
It smelled like something had died and the low jazz in the background skipped a beat every now and again, causing the song to start from the beginning. Small tables and chairs were scattered randomly across the small space of the pub and two pool tables sat in the middle of the room.
The young man with the white hair and the sling on his arm stalked off to the pool tables just as the demon stepped through the threshold. He made sure that the guy wasn't looking before walking over to the bar and asking for the heaviest thing the bartender had. The demon looked at the girl.
Her bright green eyes seemed to glint in the harsh light when they peaked from the side bangs that hung in her face, despite the odd bun that had done so well holding back the rest of her dark hair. Her purple hoodie's sleeves were bunched up at her elbow, revealing her forearms and thin fingerless black worn-out, leather gloves. Her jean shorts showed off her legs. Her feet were clad in chunky black boots with multiple buckles going up the sides as the stopped mid-calf. She seemed eerily familiar-like he knew her from somewhere.
If I knew her, he thought, I would've drained her ages ago.
The bartender, a chubby man with a long dark beard, gruffly said, "That'll be two twenty."
The demon brought his thoughts away from the girl who sat next to him and handed the man behind the counter a ten dollar bill.
"Keep the change," he said politely. The bartender only grunted and disappeared out the door that read EMPLOYEES ONLY in big bold capital letters. The demon looked at her again. She seemed so small and fragile and vulnerable. For a brief moment, he almost didn't want to drink her blood until she was bone dry and suck every last ounce of energy out of her.
Almost.
Young blood. It always tastes the best, he reminded himself.
"Do you need something?" the girl spoke sharply, sounding rather annoyed. She hadn't turned her head, instead her green eyes looked at him from the corners of her eyes.
"Just wonderin' what a pretty young thing like yourself is doin' in a dirty old place like this."
He flashed his best smile, showing off his perfect teeth that gleamed in the dim light. The girl just snorted at his attempt to flirt. "I'm Klyde."
She ignored him and just stared out the window at the pouring rain. "Crap. Just when I need to leave is when it starts raining."
"You know," Klyde began slowly, "I could drive you back to your place."
"It's fine," Lena declined. "My-"
"-brother is very well capable of taking her home."
Lena and Klyde both turned to find the guy behind them, towering over the young girl. His eyes were an electric blue, hair stark white. He had on jeans, boots, a blue coat and red hoodie that looked like a vest as well peeking out underneath that. His eyes were cloudy with anger.
"Sorry, man," Klyde stated. "Didn't know she had a ride."
"Well she does," the young man-who also looked eighteen-said roughly. "Let's go."
He continued to glare at Klyde as Lena scooted herself off the chair and walked next to him. The two walked out of the grimy bar with their hoods up, ready to head out into the rain. Klyde growled. He wasn't about to let his dessert run away that easily. Finishing off his heavy alcoholic beverage, he slammed the now empty glass on the wood counter top of the long thin table and raced toward the door in a hurry. Outside in the terrible weather, Klyde looked around for the two. Normally he feasted on women, for their blood was sweeter than men's, but he could make an exception just this once. That guy had pissed him off. Klyde spotted the pair turning the corner.
With another growl, he chased after them.
Instantly, he shifted back into his demon form. His clothes ripped and fell limply to the ground as the claws and teeth broke through. His face went from a handsome young man's to that of an ugly demon.
He ran forward, gaining on them quickly. He noticed that they didn't stop walking or start running. They didn't even look back! Each time his foot came in contact with the sidewalk, more water kicked up, spraying the back of his legs. Just as he was going to pull the girl back and snap the boy's neck, the two ducked and the demon fell flat on its face. He shot up just in time to feel the double barrel gun being pressed against his temple.
"Goodnight, you dirty bastard," the young man smirked. He shot the gun and the loud fire rang out through the still streets. The demon fell to the ground, the bullet lodged in his head. Blood seeped from his head, mixing with the rain water that collected on the dirty ground.
She looked down at it, the features of it morphing between human and demon, as if it were indecisive on which form to take. She caught sight of its eyes, brown eyes that she swore she knew from a distant place, a very distant place….
"C'mon Pipsqueak, get walkin'."
"Stop calling me that, Nero!"
Nero had stuck Blue Rose away and was already walking in the direction that led back to Devil May Cry. She stepped over the dead body and fell into step behind him. The two walked in silence-the only sound to be heard was the claps of thunder, the multiple cracklings of lightning, and the soft pitter-patter of the rain as it fell to the ground-wanting to go home and just rest. That had been the sixth demon they had hunted and killed today. This one had been, by far, the hardest of them all. Dante found him a few days back and told them what his next move would be and how it would be in one of the many bars. The two were reluctant to take the job, but eventually got off their butts and started hunting.
As they were turning another corner, Lena heard footsteps. Loud ones.
"You idiots! You think a measly bullet is all it will take to destroy me? Pfft!"
She turned and saw the bloody and previously thought to be dead demon charging at them, bullet still lodged in its head, and she instinctively pulled out her gun, Jester, and aimed. The demon dodged the projectile skillfully. He dodged the next one she fired his way.
Damn it!
The demon made a grab for her but she jumped, landed on one of the many benches that lined the street then kicked off of that and flipped through the air, landing right on the demons back. He roared in pain as her boot clad foot came into contact with his shoulder and started to shake and turn violently.
Lena leaned in close and said sneered menacingly, "You should have stayed on the ground!"
She shot him again in the back of his head. She grabbed the matted bloody patch of hair that sat atop the demon's head and pulled back, giving a perfect view of his neck. She took out one of her daggers, Apollo, and sliced it straight and cleanly across his exposed throat, strings of blood spurting everywhere. The demon fell to the ground with a splash as more blood poured from out of its head and neck. She loosened her hand, letting the head fall limp.
Lena wiped the blood off of Apollo and put the dagger away, brushing her hands together twice, ridding her gloved hands of dirt, rain water, and blood. She jumped off the now dead demon and stepped in front of Nero.
"Well," he said with a raised eye brow and a slight smirk. "I never thought you were the type that could get down and dirty, Pipsqueak."
"One of the many things I refuse to let you know about me. And, for the last time, don't call me pipsqueak." While putting her hood back up, Lena walked right past him with that natural sway of her hips that always managed to catch his eye.
As the two walked away, they had no idea that the demon, now in his human state, just lie there, unmoving and silent, before one slit, yellow eye popped open.
Nero and Lena stepped through the door of Devil May Cry to find Lady and Patty playing pool and Dante sitting at his desk, feet propped on the desk and some magazine over his face, arms crossed over his chest.
Lena and Lady were living with Dante due to the fact a demon had burned down their warehouse they had lived in. All they could salvage was most of their weapons, some clothes, and other things. They didn't have the money to get it redone and Lady blamed that on Dante, saying if "he had paid me back all that damn money he owes ages ago" they wouldn't be there right now. They'd tried Trish but she was out of town for the next month and a half with her friend because of demons repeatedly attacking the same village. And since they are living with Dante, half the pay the two of them collect goes to him, just like Nero. Dante had managed to get Nero to work for him. The older devil hunter decided to take Nero up on the offer and he needed the help.
"How was the first day of hunting as a team?" Lady asked as the balls scattered across the red felt table. Lena detected some sarcasm in her voice but shrugged it off.
"It was…interesting," Lena answered, easily avoiding how it had really been.
"Interesting?" Nero scoffed. "It was boring as all hell. I'm the one who took out most of them, Lena just stood by."
"Bullshit Nero!" Lena exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "I had to finish off most of them. That last one would have killed us both if you hadn't been so careless!"
"Keep it down you two," mumbled Dante from his desk. The magazine was no longer on his face and was probably lying somewhere on the floor, so he was using his arm as a replacement for the fallen magazine. "I'm trying to sleep."
Patty rolled her eyes and shot at a red ball only to have it land next to the hole, teetering over the edge before falling in quickly. Lady lined up the queue ball with a green one and shot, creating a small clanking noise. The ball hit a yellow one and blue one before cleanly landing in another whole.
Nero shook his head and grabbed his headphones, ready to blow his ears out with that loud heavy metal rock music. Sighing, he plopped down on the couch.
"Whatever," Lena muttered. "I'm gonna take a shower."
As the dark haired girl let the hot water rain down her body, she closed her eyes and savored the warmth. The soap bubbles pooled at the floor of the tub before joining the slow, steady line to the drain. It felt nice to be bathed in warmth, especially after being out in the cold for so long today. She'd hated the cold for as long as she could remember. The way it bit at you, got you sick. The cold, the biting cold…
That day, that faithful day…
Her thoughts wandered over to when Lady had found her. It had been freezing outside that day, and all she had on were jeans, a jacket, and a long sleeved shirt. She hadn't known where she was going, if she would ever go back, or how long it would take before she realized she couldn't survive on the streets with nothing more than the clothes on her back and scraps of food she managed to steal or find. All she knew was that she had to get out.
Her eyes snapped open as she was brought back to the present and she sighed deeply.
Nero walked up the stairs and over to his room. He could still hear the sound of Lady laughing and Patty giggling at Dante for trying to order a pizza in this weather. Dante had been shot down, apparently, and was now cursing like a sailor for not getting pizza because of "a slight drizzle outside". Nero just snorted. It hadn't been drizzling since five. He pulled off his coat, hoodie and shirt and began rifling through his drawer for something more comfortable than jeans. He pulled on the most comfortable pants he could find and tossed his jeans in the corner. Out of instinct, he plopped down on the bed and tossed his arm over his eyes.
I still got at least twenty minutes, he thought, realizing how long she took in the shower.
However, he didn't know that Lena walked through the open door that led into his room, the room she was staying in every other night for the time being. The two swapped where they slept at night, one night Nero would have the room while Lena had the couch and the next night she had the room. Tonight happened to be her night. The room consisted of a bed, a drawer, a ceiling fan and a window. Pretty plain, yes, but it's not like she expected to be treated like royalty. In fact, she quite liked this room. It was simple and that's all she needed.
Lena saw Nero laying on the bed, wearing nothing put a pair of sweats. His arm was still thrown across his face, covering his eyes. She walked over to him and shook his arm, trying not to stare too much at his bare chest. He moved it and squinted, seeing tired green eyes staring into his own sleepy electric blue ones.
Crap. She picks tonight of all nights to be quick about it.
"It's my night. Up," she ordered but it didn't seem rude and there wasn't enough authority in it. She sounded like she was going to pass out right then and there if he didn't do as she said. Her damp hair was up in a ponytail and her shoulders drooped in a sluggish way. Her eyes narrowed in a sleepy manner as she rocked back and forth on her heels.
Nero sighed heavily and got up, reluctantly, from the bed. Just as he was walking out the door he turned a little and said, "Thanks…for what you did today. On that last demon."
"No problem."
He caught her lifting up the covers and practically jumping under them. Her full lips turned up in a tiny smile as she lie back against the mattress. Lena noticed his body turn more, like he wanted to face her and his mouth opened slightly, as if he was about to speak again. Instead though, he just continued toward the door and turned the corner before she said something else. He poked his head back in the room.
"We're a team now, I guess. That's the way it should be."
"Right," he nodded slowly. "Well, g'night Pipsqueak."
"Good night Nero," she replied with a heavy sigh at her new, unwanted nickname.
He chuckled slightly then shut the door behind him.
Nero could not sleep. Her words kept echoing through his mind.
"We're a team now."
Back in the Order, Nero became so used to working on his own, so used to having to look out only for himself, that he didn't know how well he would fair with another person on his side, watching his back. Lena was used to working with Lady, she'd always had her on her side. Nero, on the other hand, never exactly had that luxury. He'd always been assigned the strange or difficult demons on his own; never with anyone else.
This was so new to him, so fresh.
So, instead of dwelling further on the subject mentally, Nero just sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take him as he thought about what it would be like for the next few months and dealing with a partner within them.
Lena walked down the stairs that led into the open space Dante insisted on calling his office. The small girl yawned as the daylight seeped in from the window, spilling onto the hardwood floor. When she reached Dante's desk, she noticed a note on it that was written in messy scrawl she immediately recognized as Lady's.
Nero and Lena,
We got a job just as we were about to close up.
The latest we should be back by is tomorrow afternoon.
Try not to kill each other, I think Dante would bust a lung if
he had to get blood out of the couch again.
-Lady and Dante
"We'll see Lady," Lena grumbled, shooting a glance back at the sleeping white-haired half-devil sprawled on the couch, shirtless, with his headphones on. "We'll see."
Just then, a loud knock sounded on the door and Lena walked over to it. She was ready to tell the customer politely that they weren't open yet only to find a small blond girl with clear, wide blue eyes wearing a frilly purple dress standing in front of her. With a wide smile she said, "Morning Lena!"
Patty Lowell ran into the shop, right past the dark haired demon hunter. Lena closed the door slowly before locking it tightly and walking up to where Patty sat on Dante's desk. Her curls seemed bouncier today and her smile brighter. A light pink tinge coated her cheeks, no doubt from being in the sun. She was the younger version of her mother, but still, the striking resemblance was prominent.
"What's up Patty?" Lena asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Nothing much," the girl answered brightly before looking over at Nero, who hadn't moved a muscle since Lena had walked down stairs. "Just as lazy as Dante."
Lena chuckled. "Yeah. I'm surprised this place has managed to stay clean."
"That's because you and Lady are the only ones that help," Patty answered. "Lady makes a big mess too, but at least she cleans up after herself."
Lena smiled before taking a seat in Dante's chair. Surprisingly enough, it was cold. Normally the seat was pretty warm because of Dante just lazing around in it for most of the day. Nonetheless, Lena leaned back in the chair, eyes still trained on Patty.
"Did you walk here again today?"
"No," Patty answered. "Morrison dropped me off. Mommy had a meeting."
Lena nodded. "Did he have a job for us?"
"No," Patty answered, shaking her head. "He did want me to tell you guys to "try not kill each other" though."
"They suck," Lena muttered. "It was only one time and you can't even see the blood stain on the couch!"
Patty looked at her questioningly, most likely about to ask what she was talking about, before a distinct male voice said gruffly, "Actually, you can. You just gotta look hard enough."
Lena sharply looked over at the male laying on the couch in the same exact position as before. She narrowed her eyes. "It's not like people are gonna barge in here and start looking for it, though."
"Yeah," he agreed. "But it could still catch their eye."
"Was anyone talking to you?"
"Not really, but considering the fact that half of that blood is my blood, I think I do have a say in the matter," Nero smirked arrogantly, knowing he'd won. "And we both know the only reason you replied like that is because you know I'm right."
After the sarcastic statement he tried to say failed, he flung his headphones on the coffee table and sprang to his feet. He quickly stretched before walking slowly in the direction of the stairs, stopping only to smile at Patty. "Hey Patty, how's it goin'?"
"It's…going," she said quietly, eyes still on Lena as the demon hunter's eyes were still glaring up at him. "How are you…?"
"Aside of the unfortunate fact that I have an annoying midget for a partner"-he flashed a bright smile in Lena's direction-"I'm fantastic."
He continued towards the stairs after that, leaving Patty with raised eyebrows and larger-than-average eyes and a very angry Lena, who looked around the desk before grabbing a magazine and chucking it in the half demon's direction. He ducked just as it was about to hit him, causing the thrown reading material to come into contact with the wall instead. When he reached that point, he picked it up and tossed it back at her, watching as it landed spread apart on the desk. "Missed, Pipsqueak."
Lena flipped him the bird when she thought he wasn't looking. Apparently, however, he was and he called out mockingly, "Saw that!"
"You were supposed to!"
Patty just sat on the edge of the desk, looking between the two, trying her hardest not to laugh.
Why, hello there!
So, this is my first DMC story and I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter; thanks for clicking on this and reading it, that means a lot to me! So, please, drop a review and let me know what you think and if you did like it, add me to your Alert List guys. I would love it and you forever! Oh, and if you have any questions just PM me and I'll answer them!
A HUMONGOITIOUS (see? I'm even making up my own words! Unless someone else uses that words...then, ah whatever!) thanks to my FANTABULOUSLY AWESOME Beta, , for helping me with this story! And for those of you that don't know, she also has a story for Devil May Cry out called Dancing with Guns & Swords and it is absolutely AMAZING! So, go check her out guys!
Thanks again for reading and I hoped you like it enough to keep reading!
~SoulLove