DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF THE DEVIL MAY CRY SERIES. THANK YOU.
Chapter Four: Dante? Really?
"Who are you?" asked a white-haired youth, walking into the shop. Sika looked up at him. There were two boys there with white hair, one in red. He knew right away that this one was Dante, the devil slayer. With them were three women, a blonde, a black-haired female, and a brunette.
"I am Sika," was the answer. "I am here to offer you a job, Dante."
All five of them exchanged looks, finally all settling on the one in red, on Dante.
"What job?" he asked.
"A simple protection detail," Sika answered. "An escort from here to the southern mountains."
"Not interested," Dante answered. Sika smiled, having guessed he would say that.
"I had a feeling that would be your answer," he told him, amused. "I guess I'll have to find someone else for the job then. I just figured you'd find it entertaining that you'd be protecting... a circumstantial devil."
Before he could walk out the door, he felt every gaze now swivelled onto him.
"What are you talking about?" asked the white-haired youth (not Dante). Sika slowly turned back to face them, noting that all of them were looking at him now.
"She's with your young human friend now," Sika told them. Immediately, all of them tensed up. "I believe she and young Patty are getting something to eat at the café on the corner. She didn't like how you all left a child alone."
That got at least the women to relax.
"What is so special about this devil?" asked the black-haired lady.
"You said she was... circumstantial," the blonde suggested as a starting point.
"When she origionally came to us, she fell fifty feet, her being entirely human," he began. That bit of news, again, shocked them. "In the course of the next three hours, her entire DNA changed to not containing a single thread of humanity into a full blood cat-devil."
Interest had been fully sparked now.
"We need to get her to the compound in the mountains where we can further our research to try and get answers for her, answers she's seeking desperately," he continued. "All she wants is the return of her human, normal life."
"Why do you need an escort?" asked the brunette.
"She has a high aversion to fighting but... unfortunately, she attracts devils like moths to a flame," Sika answered. "Why, however, remains unknown. I cannot take on hordes of devils at once and they never come in single digits. I need the best... and Dante came highly recommended."
He then pointed out the briefcase on the desk.
"My boss and I are even willing to pay in advance, four-hundred thousand, cash," he said. The blonde quickly went over and inspected the money inside the case. Her surprised expression went to Dante.
"It's legit," she told him. Again, all eyes went back to Sika. However, before another word could be spoken, the doors burst open, young Patty running in in a complete panic.
"Mr. Sika! Mr. Sika!"
She ran over to him, doubling over as she fought for breath.
"Are you all right?" he asked her, immediately concerned as he kneeled before her. "Where's Shetani?"
Patty immediately held up a black kitten, one that looked completely disgruntled. It's tail was puffed out, it's ears back flat against it's head. Sika sighed with a smile, then started chuckling.
"Got yourself in another mess, I see," he told the kitten. He got a low growl in response, but he gently took the kitten from Patty. He held the kitten up to his face (no one saw what he did) but then there was a soft 'pop' and in the place of a kitten, now a young woman stood in his grasp. Her cheeks were lined with a blush as Sika put his hands down.
"Thank you," she said, embarrassed. Patty looked completely confused. The woman turned to her. "Thank you, little one. That would have been a long way back here alone."
Patty beamed at the praise and skipped off to play. The woman's eyes followed her all the way up the stairs.
"Do I even want to know?" Sika asked her. The woman's blush darkened and she refused to meet his gaze.
"No," was the answer as she slowly made her feline ears, eyes, and claws disappear into human features. However, the tail merely took place as her belt, not leaving her form.
"Did you at least eat something before this happened?" Sika asked her. She nodded.
"We were fortunate," she told him, her tone clipped, saying she really didn't want to talk about this. "We were all ready on our way back."
"Accidental?" he pressed. She glared at him through her blush. "Obviously not."
She crossed her arms, looking away. He just chuckled at her, then looked back at the group watching them.
"I was just telling them about what we needed Dante's services for," Sika said. Almost immediately, her head spun around to look at him in disbelief.
"Dante?" she repeated. "You brought me down here to this wretched noisy city to get the aid of Dante?"
Sika sighed, his face telling them she was about to blow a gasket.
"I always thought you were a little strange but now I'm certain you're certifiably insane," she snapped, then spun to leave. Sika caught her arm tightly, stopping her as she spun to him with a glare.
"And who else could handle this?" he asked her. She was practically fuming. "He'll get the job done, given he actually accepts it."
"Before or after he royally fucks it up?" she asked bluntly. "Name one time he hasn't been a walking disaster during his little... jobs... and I'll go with your idea without complaint."
You could hear crickets chirping in the silence that followed. No one, not even Dante, had an answer for that.
"Can you deny that he, at the very least, does complete them?" Sika asked pointedly. Her tail bristled up behind her, showing her high level of irritation at being manipulated like this.
"And he won't be going alone," said the black-haired woman. "I agree with your assessment of his... performances. This, however, sounds like a job that can't afford any screw-ups."
"Or you can just leave him behind and we'll take you," said the other white-haired youth.
"And who are you?" asked the feline.
"I am Nero," he answered. "You'll find my record to be a great deal cleaner than Dante's."
The feline nodded.
"I know your name," she said. "You were part of that... Order of the Sword disaster... were you not?"
Nero nodded, seeming a bit surprised that she knew him.
"That would make the woman to your right... your precious Kyrie," she said, her tone not mocking, merely stating a fact. The brunette nodded. "I see..."
She looked at Sika.
"I like his offer," she told him. Sika frowned at her. "I'd sooner trust my fate to someone with his track record, than the accident-prone-heap-of-trouble Dante."
She saw Sika start to argue and shut him up real quick.
"Besides, what would happen to young Patty in the meantime?" she asked silkily. "This trip is going to take at least three months."
"THREE MONTHS!" repeated all other across the room, making her clamp her hands over her ears.
"Goddess bless it!" she swore. "Not so loud!"
"Why three months?" asked Kyrie kindly.
"I can't take modern conveniences like cars," she told her. "They hurt my ears... really bad. Just sitting in that diner was bad enough... all those people dragging their teeth on their silverware or scraping their dishes... ugh! That's not counting the smell! I have a headache as it is!"
Sika immediately fished out a bottle of Advil from his bag, handing her two. She didn't think twice and downed them both, gladly taking the bottle of water he offered her as well. She made a face after the first gulp, though, handing it back.
"You put in that flavor crap, didn't you?"
He chuckled.
"Must have forgot," he told her. Her expression clearly stated she was not amused.
"Anyway, the only mode of travel that works with my heightened senses is to walk... and avoid big cities like this," she finished. "It'll be a huge inconvenience, I know, but-"
"But you have to do what is in the best interests of your health and keeping your devil side hidden," the black-haired woman finished. I nodded, agreeing. "It probably wouldn't be wise for your tail, ears, eyes, and claws to pop out in public... Fine. We'll walk."
"Wait, you're accepting this?" asked Dante. The woman nodded.
"It sounds like a perfectly good reason to me... and it's all ready paid for," she said. "They came for help and so I will give it, with or without you."
She walked over to them.
"I am Lady," she introduced herself. "I accept this task."
Nero and Kyrie followed her. Then Patty launched herself down the stairs, going over to wrap her arms around the feline's waist.
"Take me with you!" she begged, looking up at her with her pretty blue eyes. The woman smiled softly.
"That's up to your guardian," she told her. She immediately looked at Dante.
"Go," he told her. "There won't be anyone here to take care of you."
She got excited.
"Are you coming too?" she asked. Shetani dreaded the answer.
"You guys don't really think you can do this without me," he said. Shetani growled.
"Egotistical asshole," she muttered darkly. Kyrie giggled, having heard her. She glared at Sika. "I let him come under extreme protest."
Then she turned and walked out of the place. Almost immediately, a scent slammed into her, one so potent it caused her eyes to tear. She was back in those doors again, holding her nose tightly.
"Perfume?" Sika asked with a knowing grin. She shot him a dirty look while struggling not to hurl.
"You're supposed to spritz, not drown in it!" she snapped. "Goddess, that burns!"
Patty's eyes lit up suddenly and she darted up to her room. In a few seconds, she came back down and handed something to the feline. It was a face-mask, a black sylish one, like warriors of old used to wear. It was a simple black cloth, but it was perfect!
"Just soak it in a scent you like and wear that!" she told her. It would cover both her nose and mouth, but leave her eyes bare.
"Thank you, Patty," she told the child. "You're brilliant!"
Patty, again, glowed with the praise. So, the feline put it on, making sure it was comfortable.
"Aren't you going to scent it?" Patty asked. The feline looked at her.
"It all ready is, little one," she told her. "I can tell that you have worn this before. It smells like you... and cheetos."
Patty blushed.
"Where shall we head first?" asked Lady. "We'll need to stock up if we're gonna avoid most cities."
"Don't worry about food," Sika told her. "And anything we need to buy along the way, be it lodging or food, I will cover it. Only worry about some of the nights where we won't be sleeping indoors."
Lady nodded and our group set out. The blonde remained close to Dante while Patty remained close to the feline.