Warnings: AU/ MalexMale pairing/ Language/ Yaoi content in later chapters/ Some violence (mainly towards demons.. no worries)

Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry, the story or it's characters. I do not make any money from this story.

Beta: Currently un-beta'd so please excuse any mistakes, I do triple check my work to minimize mistakes, but I am only human...

Thank-Yous:

bitbyboth - Yeah, sucks to know you're not wanted :( However I'm sure there's a few fan girl out there who would take care of him xD haha. Thanks for reviewing :)

SirenaLorely - Yes who will find who hmmm...? Thanks for the review :)

Caro666 - Thanks! Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

Hey It's Melmel - Wow :o I hope you managed to stop 'naaawwww' ing now! Haha... However I must stress I do not condone kidnap (no matter how much fun it would be! Mwahahaha!) *cough* Thank you obedient reviewer for reviewing and being obedient haha! Babies :| oh my... Uhm, I'll kindly reject that offer xD But I am honoured haha!

Before I forget, this chapter is a little longer than usual, I was gonna make it two chapters but then it would be two too short ones then I was going to make it a two-part chapter, but then I thought I may as well just fling it all together and see how it turns out! But forgetting that... Here we go kids!

Chapter Three – Judge Me The Damned

It was early morning when Nero woke up, even Kyrie was still asleep. He'd slept badly, not only was the sofa very uncomfortable but his mind was filled with so many criticisms and thoughts about what he was planning to do. The sun had just about risen when Nero finally gave up any hope of returning to sleep, he sat up and threw on his red hoody and his Order coat before running his hand through his hair to try and tame the chaos. As he sat awkwardly on the sofa, he remembered taking his sling off before he slept, after the Saviour had been dealt with he thought he would be able to go without it, however Kyrie advices him to keep it on for a little while longer in case the towns people were still afraid. He thought back to the night before and noticed that Kyrie seemed tense when he took it off to sleep, she was still frightened of what his arm meant. Nero let out a hard sigh before grabbing the sling and grudgingly placing it over his shoulder and hiding his arm from view.

"I thought I was done with all this crap."

Nero looked up as he heard the click on the door of Kyrie's room, she was already dressed and ready for the day. Obviously she was uneasy about even leaving her room until she was completely dressed, after all who would want to be murdered by a half-devil whilst in their pyjamas? She looked relieved to see he was wearing his sling, grateful she didn't have to look at his devil arm. Nero saw the way she reacted to him and something irked inside of him, and he was slowly getting rather pissed off with the way she was treating him, it was as if she saw him as an animal with no feeling or awareness of the hurt she was causing him.

"Oh Nero, I didn't think you would be awake this early in the morning? What have you been doing?"

"Why? Do you not trust me to be walking in your apartment when you're asleep?" He snapped at her, hardly registering what he was saying until he had said it. Kyrie looked at him, not with hurt or confusion at the sudden outburst, but with guilt. The words of the towns people lay heavy on her, they called him a monster and told her that he was just another demon, intent on causing destruction. He was a fiend, like the rest of them who had haunted Fortuna, and eventually he would hurt her.

Nero took a deep breath before speaking again, he didn't want to upset her after all he had known her his whole life, he even began to care for her more than a friend. Everything had changed, now that everyone knew what he hid under his sling he would be persecuted and judged until he was eventually ran out of town.

"I'm leaving Fortuna for a while, maybe, or I might not come back. I'm still not too sure what I want to do yet. I can't stay here."

Kyrie's face betrayed her as it showed relief at he told of his unexpected departure, she looked down at her feet then back up to Nero in an attempt to look surprised, but he had seen how she responded and he had a face of thunder. Nero marched over to where Red Queen and Blue Rose lay and grabbed them before pushing past Kyrie before stopping at her front door, with his hand held firmly on the handle.

"I thought you were different, you said you understood but you were lying. You've known me all my life and I have never once hurt you or Credo! But now because of this arm you're going to judge me as damned? If nothing else, remember this Kyrie; you were more than content to let me court you and save your life after my arm had changed, even when you found out what it was, you wanted… No! You needed me to save you! But now that you're safe and the Saviour's dead, you think its okay to just throw me out and forget about me? I may have this arm Kyrie, but I'm still me. I'm still the same Nero who bought you the necklace that hangs around your neck!"

As Nero opened the door, he looked back at Kyrie for the last time and she was holding on to the necklace that he had given her, but she made no move to give it back to him. She wasn't crying but then again she wasn't smiling, she just stood there sort of stunned at how he had spoken to her. In his whole life he tip toed around her, always trying to please her. He had had enough, he was out of here, Fortuna was old news.

With Midday fast approaching Fortuna's busy life had begun, people were out and about on the streets and children were playing in the parks while their parents spoke of how nice it is to be outside again. When Nero passed them they would stop talking so frivolously and suddenly become hushed, pulling their children close to them or whispering to someone about what he was. He could hear every harsh word, every insult they would mutter about him, he kept his head down and walked on with a slightly faster pace.

Knowing now that Dante was a half-breed just like him, Nero thought he would be able to trace his scent. He had first smelt it when Dante came crashing the roof, an over powering aroma of fresh strawberries and old leather, it was distinctive to say the least. So he walked through the streets and every so often he would catch a whiff of that scent but it would eventually fade away, leaving him without a clue. After hours of finding then losing Dante's scent, Nero walked down to the port and sat at the end of the pier with his legs hanging off the end and stared at the water stretching out in front of him. The port was pretty much quiet apart from the gulls calling up above and the rustling of the people emerging from the warehouses. When demons began to plague Fortuna, a lot of people lost their homes and families, those lucky enough to escape the slaughter ran to the port and hid in the warehouses which had been left by frightened workers. News of the Saviour had travelled far and fast and the people at Port Caerula now knew it was safe to return so they were beginning to shuffle back into the city. In the many hordes of people rushing about, an old woman dressed in torn rags noticed Nero sitting at the end of the pier and strolled up to him before sitting herself right next to him.

"You look lost son, surely this isn't the place you want to be?"

Nero looked up at her, he didn't even realise she was there until she spoke, he was in his own little world trying to find Dante. His first reaction was to tell her to get lost, but when he looked at her face, she just smiled at him. Her face was worn with wrinkles and scars from demon attacks, she looked tired but strong, the kind of person who keeps on fighting even if there was nothing left to fight for.

"I don't know where I'm supposed to be, I've been looking for someone but he must be long gone by now." She never said anything to him, just waited patiently for him to continue, "There someone outside of Fortuna, he's the only person I know outside of Fortuna. I can't go back now, too many people know about..."

He stopped himself, if she found out she was talking to a half-devil after everything that has happened, she'd probably going to freak out and Nero was definitely not in the mood to cause a scene.

"It's okay son, I've already heard the rumours about what you are. You kinda underestimate how fast people can spread gossip. Don't be alarmed, I'm not scared. Listen, I lost my husband and my house to those devils and I stared straight in their eyes as they killed him and all I saw was hatred and anger, but when I look at you all I see is a lost young boy. You're not bad son, you just need to find someone to prove that to you."

Nero sat in silence and listened to her as she spoke to him, he believed her when she said she wasn't afraid because throughout the whole time they sat there, she never once looked at his sling. This woman, a stranger, showed him the acceptance he thought he would have gotten from Kyrie.

"I need to get out of this city, I need to find Dante." Nero was talking more to himself now than to her, he knew that not everyone was as understanding as she was. Eventually people would want him out of the town or most likely, dead.

"Dante?" She sounded surprise to hear his name but not like it was unfamiliar to her, because to be fair it's not really a name you hear everyday.

"Yeah, he's the guy I'm looking for. Tall, white hair, loads of red leather, carries a really big sword, and really cocky. Do you know where he went?"

The old woman smiled and stood up, offering him a hand before telling him that she too had spoken to Dante before he had left Fortuna.

"He drove off down the main road out of Fortuna, heading south. He said he was heading home to some big city called, uhm... Oh my, what was it?" She paused, obviously trying to remember what he had told her. Nero was listening intently to her, hoping that she could tell him where he had went.

"CAPULET CITY! That was it." She shouted so loud all of a sudden that Nero jumped at the sound of her voice, "Said he had a shop there, some sort of demon hunting business called Devil May Cry. Isn't that fascinating? Bless him though, said that if I ever had anymore demon problems I could get in touch with him. Not that I would have to now that you killed every one of those things! But I will say this, he did seem quite upset about something."

Dante, upset? Those two words just don't seem to fit, that guy was always smug and constantly coming out with some brash insult or another. Now Nero had the city and the name of his shop, should be easy to find Dante now, right? He thanked the old woman at the pier and ran off towards to the south road out of the city, once he could find Dante he could start a new life, away from the prying eyes of Fortuna.


Oooooooh, she's a little evil that Kyrie dontcha think! Hmmf, not that I Kyrie bash or anything... *cough* HATEHER * cough* 0:)

So, will Nero be able to find our hero or will he end up chasing shadows? Read and review, it does bring a smile to my face