Chapter Four: The Escape

The fiendish monster roared as it leapt down from the ceiling at them, shattered glass trailing behind it. Director Blackstone pushed Jeanne out of the way as he was tackled to the ground. The monster glared at both of the women as it pinned him to the floor.

"Dear God! Maria, get help! Call the police, anyone…Just go…NOW!"

"But Director!"

Jeanne pulled on Maria's sleeve.

"We need to go now." She said sternly. The two of them started running in the direction of the main entrance.

"Jeanne…" Maria whimpered.

Suddenly they heard a thundering howl behind them. Maria barely looked back to see the beast coming for them. She could see Director Blackstone shaking as he tried to get to his feet.

The two of them ran for the doors that lead into the next gallery. Maria scrambled for the cellphone in her pocket. Maria and Jeanne each took different directions around an expansive display of an English tapestry.

Jeanne briefly glanced over, recognizing that the monster went around in the same direction as her. Then, in an instant, a thought occurred to her.

"Maria! Get out of here! I'll create a diversion while you escape!"

The two of them met up on the other side and seeing a cart of audio tours to the side, Maria shoved them at the creature, rendering it temporarily distracted.

"Jeanne, what are you thinking?" The two of them continued to run through several more galleries before reaching the lobby.

Jeanne didn't react at first. Then, Maria grabbed her and the two of them halted just a few feet away from the main doors.

"Are you crazy? I can't let you get killed!"

Jeanne exhaled deeply. She was trembling from fear as well, but her eyes were shining with a rare, unwavering determination.

"Maria…if we both go, that…whatever it is…will follow us. It could hurt even more people than just me and Lucian. Besides…"

Maria started tearing.

"You're my best friend…If anything happened to you…"

Maria slapped Jeanne, leaving a red mark on her cheek.

"You're such a dope sometimes!"

Before she could say anything more, the monster came crashing through the wall, sending glass shards in every direction. It bellowed and caused the two women to stumble. Jeanne managed to struggle and free herself from Maria, running towards the stairs.

She threw a potted plant in the direction of the creature. She missed, but it saw her and snarled.

"Hey Ugly!"

It reared up and jumped towards her.

"Come get me!"

Jeanne disappeared up the stairs. Maria tried to chase after her but the hellish beast promptly slapped her with its tail and knocked her onto her back. When she looked up, it was going up the stairs after Jeanne.

"NO!"

She started sobbing as she finally got a hold on her phone and started dialing for the police. As she was pushing the buttons, she heard the subtle rumbling of a car engine approaching the museum from outside. The night sky was thick with dark clouds, rain, and a light fog was gathering along the ground.

"Wait! Stop!"

A man emerged from the car carrying a massive sword on his back.

"Sir! It's not safe here…"

She noticed the weapon.

"Hold on, are you here to stop that thing?"

The mysterious man nodded.

"Guess I'm a little late to the party…"

"Please!" She sobbed, "My friend Jeanne…she's still on there…"

"Well, I'd better go get her then…"

He drew two guns from his trench coat and dashed into the building.

"Oh dear God…what the hell is going on?"

Maria then saw Mr. Blackstone running out of the building and waved to him. The two of them were quickly becoming drenched in the rain.

"Where's Jeanne?" He called.

"She's still in there and that THING is after her!"

Suddenly, an image of the man with the sword flashed across her consciousness and she realized she'd seen him before.

"Wait a second…wasn't that…"

…

Meanwhile, the young woman rushed up the stairs with her pursuer close behind. Jeanne could feel her legs tensing up as if to beg her to stop and rest. But she pushed forward, turning every corner, praying that she could get away. If only she could have a minute, even if it was only to gather herself and try to come up with a plan to either escape or fight back.

Finally, she swung the door open to the sixth floor where the local artists usually had their work on display. Jeanne ran past abstract paintings and sculptures, into the corridor leading to another room which was out of the way.

The sign on the door read, "This room is temporarily unavailable to the public, Employee Access Only."

The moonlit room on the inside was bare save for a couple of empty display cases. Jeanne tried to lock the door behind her, but the attacker burst in, knocking her down. She fell into one of the cases, breaking the glass. Broken shards cut into her back and Jeanne shrieked.

The creature swung at her and she tried to duck. She managed to dodge its grasp, but as it backed her into a corner of the room, she looked down to see it had torn a gash in her lower side. The blood was seeping into her uniform, appearing as a dark stain. Spots also appeared on the back of her shoulders where the glass had scratched her.

She tried to stand up, leaning against the wall for support. The monster howled and for a moment it sounded as if it was speaking her name.

Then, there was another noise which sounded like a laugh.

"So…you…are the sacrifice…I was summoned to obtain for my master…" It panted loudly. Jeanne could feel herself growing weak and her vision blurred. Her glasses slid down her face and fell to the floor.

"You're talking…to…m-me…"

"You're lucky I have to bring you back ALIVE!" Its voice resounded throughout the room, causing the ceiling window and the display cases to shudder.

She slid down the wall onto the floor as the creature reached out to grab her. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere was the bang of a gunshot and a loud thud.

"You're not taking her anywhere!"

There was a swishing noise and the sound of liquid spattering against the walls. Jeanne tried to get to her feet again as she opened her eyes.

The creature lay dead. Its ruby eyes had grown a dull grey as it still seemed to be glaring at her with an otherworldly menace.

"Sorry, but she and I already have plans."

She looked up to see who was speaking.

Standing in back of the creature was a tall, wiry man, appearing to be in his mid to late twenties. He was clad in a crimson trench coat, with an ornamented red vest and a black shirt underneath. There were two black bands wrapped around the left leg of his pants and his dark boots came up almost to his knees.
In his hand he held a massive blade, with a spiked skull engraved on its handle.

Still trying to lean on the wall for support, Jeanne put one arm on her side where she had been wounded.

The man approached her and offered her his hand as he withdrew his weapon.

"Hey there! I remember you…"

She couldn't help but think she knew him from somewhere, but her vision was still hazy and she started to feel the room swinging back and forth.

"Why don't we get out of here? I'll take you someplace a little nicer."

He noticed her glasses on the floor; one of the lenses was cracked. He gave them to her.

"You shouldn't leave without these…"

She sighed when she felt the crack in the lens and put her glasses in her pocket; she staggered forward. He caught her as she was about to fall over. Jeanne caught a faint glimpse of his angular visage, but as it was common for her, she was forced to avert her gaze.
"You really are shy, aren't you?"

His white hair was brushed down and his blue eyes seemed to have a glint of confidence in them. He saw the dark spots on her jacket and his face twisted in an expression of concern. The man lifted up her jacket to reveal the deep red stains in her blouse.

"Shit…"

"I…I need to see a doctor." She tried to walk towards the exit but the room was spinning now.

"You sure do."

Suddenly he lifted her off her feet. Jeanne felt his muscular arms supporting her weight effortlessly.

"Wha…what are you doing?" She protested, trying to push him away.

"It'll be a lot faster this way, trust me. Besides, you need to get to a hospital as soon as possible."

He started walking away, carrying her bridal style in his arms.

"Hold on tight."

She gripped onto his coat with what little strength she could muster and he sprinted down towards the stairs. He kicked the door open to the stairway, swiftly making his way down to the main floor.

"You…Who are you? You said you remembered me…"

The man appeared as if he would laugh.

"You mean you've forgotten me already?"

She didn't answer.

"Well, I certainly haven't forgotten your face. Jeanne Larson, right?"

"Yeah…"

"You live across the street from me."

It was starting to come back to her.

"Your friend at the diner introduced you to me…"

She remembered two weeks ago when Maria took her out after the last day of a special exhibition. A clear picture of a man's face danced across her vision.

"Wait…no…"

Her voice was becoming hollow. She heard the whistling of the wind, the pouring of rain, and a couple of voices and realized they were already outside. But the image in her mind lingered.

"…Dante?"

The demon hunter looked into her face as she drifted out of consciousness.

"Hold on there, babe. I'll get you to a doctor, pronto."

Maria ran to him and looked over at her comatose friend.

"Jeanne. Oh my God! I'll call an ambulance right away!"

She started dialing the number and instantly remembered who he was.

"Hey! You're that guy from Fredi's! Wait…what are you doing here?"

"I was supposed to pick up Ms. Larson this evening…but I guess I got here a little too late. D…"

"Hold on a second, what's with the sword and the pistols?," She cut him off, "Are you some kind of bodyguard? Because you sure as hell don't look like a chauffeur."

She finished dialing and requested an ambulance. She got off the phone and looked at Dante with suspicion. The three of them were already soaked in the downpour.

"Wait…does Robert Cole know about that monster that just attacked us? I bet you know what it is too!"

Dante waited by the front door, still holding Jeanne.

"So talk! What was that thing? A mutant experiment? Some type of alien invader?"

"No…that thing you saw in the museum was a demon. And it was after Jeanne."

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later and Dante was prepared to follow them in his car as they put Jeanne on a stretcher and lifted her into the ambulance.

Maria couldn't believe what had just happened and what she was being told.

"You've got to be kidding me," She shook her head; "This is insane!"

To Be Continued.

Author's note: The majority of this chapter was included in a preview of this fanfiction, entitled "Devil May Cry Fanfic Preview", available only on Deviantart under the author's DA name, LittleBlackDragon. Some of the details, wording, etc. have been altered or revised.