Chapter 3
He dejectedly returned inside, sat on the bed, not believing at what just happened. He had to see her again. He was going back to the club tonight, definitely. He picked up a beer bottle and took a quick sip when suddenly someone banged on the door. 'Changed her mind I bet.' he thought, feeling smug.
"Dante! Get outta there, you're in grave danger!" Spoke a female but different voice.
He forcefully flung open the door, the bright sunlight hurting his eyes and saw a young petite woman, wearing shorts and a purple hoodie staring at him.
"Who are you? What do you want?" he asked. Disappointed that it wasn't the girl from this morning.
"You were careless. You left a trail. Now he is onto you." she said worriedly.
"What are you talking about? Who's onto me?" he questioned.
"A hunter demon." making sure no one else was watching, she whispered. As soon as she said those words, there was a growl in the background, diverting their attention. The ocean rising in large tidal wave causing the people on the pier to stare at it in panic.
"He's here." she gasped.
"D...AAAAN...TE!"
Rising from the ocean, approaching him slowly and menacingly was a large demon with a body similar to any four-legged animal. It had a large head, dark evil eyes and bushy hair.
In one of his four-arms he wielded a claw-like weapon.
Slowly and steadily he moved ahead and the environment started to change. The people around fading out and the pier twisting and turning, transforming into a distorted version of the world they knew. He looked around and saw parts of the pier lift up, portions of buildings detach and slide in and some slide out.
'Fuck! Not again.' he thought while turning to look at the woman who spoke while fading out like the rest.
"Demon scum."
"It's too late. He's dragging you into Limbo. You're gonna have to fight your way out."
He looked back at the demon, "Shit! Back in Limbo." he grumbled giving out a small sigh.
"Bad day for a hangover." he stared at the demon pissing him off.
The demon jumped up on the railing, holding onto one of the street lamps, he flung his claw forward in Dante's direction. With claw flying straight at him, Dante rolled to his left evading only to see it plunging into his trailer.
"Get your filthy, fucking claw off my trailer!" he yelled.
Almost immediately the claw retracted and the demon aimed right back. Sensing its move, Dante lunged right into the trailer, flying through, putting on his tank shirt, pulling up his pants, grabbing onto his boots, gloves in tow and broke right through the rear window, all dressed up and smirking back at the hunter.
"Missed."
The hunter disappeared into the water but thin, lanky looking demons broke through the pier floor, ready to attack him.
Dante turned to look at them, "Time for a little Rebellion." His tattoo glowed and a sword appeared slowly across his back.
The demons lunged forward with their mace-like weapons and Dante drew his sword out in response. Swiping his sword left and right, he sliced through each demon, defeating them in a manner of seconds. He turned to walk away and spotted his guns hanging from the string of lights above. He ran ahead, jumping up on the uneven and jagged surface, flipped in the air, grabbing a gun in each hand, he landed on his feet.
"Ebony, Ivory...missed you girls." he gave a quick nod to each one.
No sooner did he say that, he was surrounded by some small flying minions, aiming fire balls at him.
He aimed his guns at the fire spewing devils, taking them out effectively. He walked away, putting his guns in the waistband of his pants at the back. He felt a slight movement at the back and drew his guns out, taking aim with both.
"Don't shoot!" It was the girl who alerted him. She appeared slightly faded and her voice in a deep echo. She held her hands up in the air, bending at her knees she continued,
"My name is Kat. I 'm not a demon. I am still in the real world. You're in Limbo."
"No. Then how come I can see you clearly." he challenged, dropping one hand and aimed a gun at her with the other turned sideways.
"I am a medium...a...a psychic. I can phase in and out of Limbo and communicate with you." she explained.
"I can see you, talk to you but I am not actually in Limbo with you."
Turning his hand to aim the gun straight at her he asked, "And if I pull the trigger?"
"I'll die." she said softly."I am risking my life for you. I wanna help."
He kept his gun aimed at her, looking at her, not able to decide what to do. She seemed to be just as scared as the rest. But she was still here, hadn't run away. She appeared to be timid and shy and was staring right back hoping he believed her.
He dropped his hand and took a step sideways to leave.
"I don't need your help."
"The hunter has dragged you into Limbo. I can get you out." she persisted.
"I've been down here before and I know how to get out." he replied with anger. "You fight whatever shit-sucking demon dragged you in here."
"You don't wanna fight the hunter. He's not your regular demon." shaking her head she continued on walking past him.
"Follow me. Now!"
He closed his eyes, clearly irritated, turned and followed her unwillingly.
She directed him through several small pathways, to avoid getting spot by demons. He ran behind her, not completely trusting her, deciding to kill her if she double-crossed him.
Soon they were out in the open near the Ferris wheel and suddenly the hunter smashed through the railings and crawled swiftly towards the Ferris wheel and gave a sharp spin.
Dante's eyes following the hunter the whole time. A red cloth fluttering on one of the carts on the wheel caught his attention.
"Is that my coat?" he wondered. "How did it get up there?" The events of the night before were blurry and he had almost no memory of them.
The hunter gave it a strong smack to the wheel, uprooting it and sending it rolling towards Dante.
Dante jumped right through, lifted his coat and leaped out wearing it.
"Sweet!"
He quickly reached out for his guns and fired at the hunter. However, they had no effect on them. He looked at his guns questioningly.
"That won't work." Kat said walking up next to him.
"Why not?"
"He's bulletproof."
The hunter smashed through several of the stalls savagely, reducing them to pieces.
Dante chided the hunter, "You wanna fight. Let's go!"
"Dante! Wait!"Kat interrupted. She threw a flaming bottle at the hunter's face; the hunter turned his head in pain and gave out an angry growl.
"It's working, you can fight him now. It won't be easy." she said as they watched the hunter lose balance.
"Hunters are brutal fighters."
"So am I." Dante boasted as he drew out his sword, ready to attack.
"Attack its face." Kat advised him.
He swung his sword towards the hunter, slicing and dicing his face. Using his guns to full advantage, he shot at its face as the hunter climbed up the broken Ferris wheel structure.
"Get back here, you piece of shit." Dante shouted as he shot the pole below the hunter's foot causing the pole to tilt and make him lose balance and fall. Dante attacked the hunter's face with all his strength, not giving him a chance to gain his composure.
Finally, it collapsed to the ground, laying on his side with his head towards Dante.
"Game over." grinned Dante standing tall over him, his sword blade resting on his shoulder.
"Son of Sparda." the hunter spoke slowly in a deep gruff voice.
"Son of who?" asked Dante.
"You have been found. So has she. You are dead just like your whore mother." it spat venomously.
"Whore mother? Well I don't know my mother. But if you are calling me a son of a bitch - you wouldn't be the first."
Dante replied while striking him with his sword, killing the demon.
"My mother..." Dante said under his breath sadly clutching onto his pendant. "...I barely remember her."
Dante slowly walked away from the, now completely destroyed pier. The people in total panic mode, scared to death. It wasn't the first time he had been attacked by demons or his home was destroyed and he became homeless. But it was the first time the demon had spoke to him, given him a clue.
'Son of Sparda. You have been found. So has she.'
The demon's voice rang in his ears.
It was clear to him that the demon spoke about him but still he wondered. 'Who was Sparda? And who was "she"? Who else had been found?'
He shook his head and continued walking, watching the police cars race by him going in the opposite direction towards the pier. He was trying to figure out what to do next when a car stopping near him caught his attention. It was Kat, the girl who alerted him outside his trailer.
"Are you okay, Dante?" she enquired.
"How do you know my name?" he asked back, head still facing forward.
"My boss knows you. He wants to meet. Please. I helped you back there." she pleaded trying to convince him.
He turned to look at her, leaning on the window edge, "I didn't ask for your help."
She looked away staring forward, hands on the steering wheel, waiting for his move. After a moment's hesitation, Dante got into the car and motioned her to drive.
As they drove away she explained further, "We know all about you, Dante. I'm with an organization called the Order. Heard of it?"
"Something to do with that masked freak on the net?" he asked.
"That's my boss."
"Wonderful. Can't wait."
As they drove by, all the TV monitors across the city showed the destruction of the pier as breaking news. The news anchor reported, "We're just receiving reports of a terrorist attack that has taken place at the Bellevue pier in the western district of the city. Police have asked the people to remain vigilant as further terror attacks could take place anywhere, at anytime and when you least expect it."
After driving through the most deserted of roads, they arrived to an equally deserted building. Entering through a metal gate they came stop at what seemed to be a dilapidated building with signs wear clearly visible. They got out of the car and stopped near the entrance.
"Welcome to the Order." said Kat.
Dante gave a once over to the structure and said, "Not what I was expecting."
"That's the idea." she said as they bent downwards entering through the half open shutters.
"The demons are amongst us, Dante, they are enslaving mankind." she said walking towards the wall at the opposite end.
"The world is asleep, brainwashed and helpless." She then pressed her thumb into the wall and out popped an electronic identification lock that scanned her eye, sliding open the concealed door.
"We're fighting back."
The close circuit camera zoomed in on them as they entered. Walking behind Kat, through a dimly lit passage, Dante took in the surroundings while paying attention to what she said.
"We are a small handful of freedom fighters. We are the last and only line of defense."
"Defense? You got no chance!" he quipped as they came to room filled with computers with people busy working on them. Too busy to notice that they were even there.
"We don't leave things to chance. We've accumulated vast intelligence on the demons and their collaborators." she defended.
"...world leaders, bankers, pop stars...we can hit 'em where it hurts."
They soon came into another room, darker than the previous one. On the mantel in the center was the mask, the mask that the guy on the net wore. And standing beyond it was the man himself, face shrouded by a shadow waiting for them, well waiting for him.
"Amazing...!" he spoke as Dante slowly walked towards him.
"Dante-it really is you?" he questioned.
Dante replied with a small shrug as if to say 'Who else were you expecting?'
"You don't remember me?" he asked further.
"No!" Dante replied swiftly not really bothering with this conversation.
"How much of your childhood do you remember?" the man went on.
Dante couldn't believe it. 'She said this guy knows all about me. What a load of bull!'
"Not much - had meningitis when I was seven, wiped my memory - why?" Dante probed.
The man laughed, "They told me I had a car accident that resulted in total amnesia. Age - seven."
Dante shrugged and asked, "Your point?"
"Meningitis is a human affliction. You are not human, Dante." he said as he came into the light. That's when Dante saw his face.
It was as if he was staring into a mirror. The same face, same nose, same height - everything was the same except for the hair. He had light blonde hair combed away from his face. He wore a long black jacket and black pants with black boots. He held some sort of cane in his hands.
"All war has been fought with deception and you have been deceived. Your past has been kept hidden from you for a reason."
He spoke as if to convince Dante of something and that was all he could take before interrupting the man.
"Rewind the bit - Who are you again?"
"My name is Vergil." the man said. "I established the Order to help find a way to fight the demons."
"Besides swords and bullets, you mean?" Dante questioned.
"Such weapons can win battles but not the war. We use force, yes. But we also use intelligence, politics, propaganda."
He explained almost preaching making Dante smirk and ask,"You really believe that you can make a dent?"
"Make a dent?" Vergil said swerving sideways looking at Dante. "With the two of us working together, I believe that we can defeat them!"
Dante suddenly came to realize what Vergil wanted from him and replied, "So that's what this is about. You need me to fight the demons, help you save the world."
"What else were you planning on doing with your life?" challenged Vergil.
Dante gave a fake smile and tried to get his way out of the situation.
"Well, you guys do seem nice but I'm more of a loner type; trust issues, work alone - that type of thing."
Kat couldn't take it anymore, she had to do something and so moving forward she pitched in, " Dante, I don't think you understand what's at stake here..."
Vergil stopped her with a wave of his hand, still facing Dante.
"If you want to leave - turn your back on me, I am powerless to stop you." Vergil pushed ahead with his view still trying to convince. "But you'd be making a grave mistake. Not just for you, but for mankind."
"For mankind? What makes you think I give a shit?"
Dante spat making Kat jerk her head up, not believing that he didn't care about the world he lived in and the people that lived in it.
Vergil decided to give one last shot, "At least give me a chance to show you."
"Show me what?"
"Who you really are."
