Sorry for the long wait, I actually finished this chap ages ago. I thought I'd uploaded it. Oops... anyways...


"Now who the fuck are you?" The Half-blood growled.

It hadn't been all that long ago that the strange white-haired Demon had demanded that of someone…

"Ose."

The Skin-walker shivered inside the membranous skin he was wearing, ignoring the frenzied screams of pain coming from behind the dumpster to his left.

"OH GOD! MY SKIN! HE TOOK MY FUCKING SKIN!!!" The youth squirmed and flailed in pain against the bloodstained concrete.

"Ose, love."

The Skin-walker felt soft lips brush his new left ear. He stretched, letting his muscles knot and connect with the new skin. He was completely naked, but his nerves were yet to connect with those in his new skin; so the cold night had no effect on him.

"Fuck off." He growled hoarsely, lisping slightly from the loose skin not yet tightened around his lips, "Can't you fee I'm bi'fy?"

White mist, perfumed like flowers, started to curl around him. He felt slender hands slide over his bare shoulders. The echo of heels rhythmically approached.

"Surely you could make time for me?" The voice whispered in his ear.

The Skin-walker called Ose cast a glance back. The only other person in the alley – besides that squirming brat behind the dumpster (Wasn't he dead yet?) - was a prostitute, leaning against the brick wall of the Chinese Takeaway shop beside the alley. Her long black hair draped over her cheap clothes; tight jeans, skin-tight black singlet top and cracked leather jacket. Her eyes glowed in the light of the cigarette in her right hand as she stared at him. She took another drag of the cigarette,

"So this is what you've been reduced to?" He lips didn't move as she spoke, "Picking off the scraps in alleys like a common rat?"

"Now who the fuck are you?" Ose snarled. She smiled and let the butt of the cigarette fall to the floor where she ground it into the wet cement with a crunch.


"Last person I asked that, half-blood, strung me out to within an inch of my life." The white-haired Demon smiled coldly, "Would you like to know what it felt like?" He sneered and lunged, sword flashing in the light of the sunset.

Dante used the side of Ivory and deflected the blade, sending sparks falling to the floor. After a moment of pause, during which the Demon and Dante stared each other down, Dante drew Alastor and holstered his guns.

"How about knowing what it's like to get your ass kicked by a half-blood?" He cracked the vertebrae in his neck loudly. The Demon grinned and shifted weight to leap at him again.

Suddenly both blades were stopped mid-air, screeching against the gentle curve of a scythe. Adriana twisted the scythe and caught both blades in the angle of the handle and blade, twisting both swords free of the men's hands.

With a twist, Dante drew Ebony; clasping a hand around the wooden staff of the scythe and pushing the tip of his gun under Adriana's chin. The Demon shifted and disappeared, reappearing behind him with a gun of his own cocked to the back of Dante's head.

"Just whose damn side are you on?" Dante hissed at Adriana.

"No-ones, apparently." The Demon answered for her - Adriana, chin bruised from the butt of the black gun - ducked and weaved, using a sweeping kick to knock the gun from Dante's hands. At precisely the same time, the Demon lunged for Adriana's scythe; leaving himself open Dante twisting once again – coat flaring – and taking his gun.

The result of this was Adriana crouched under Dante; a gun under his chin, the Demon behind Dante; the blade of Adriana's scythe curving threateningly around her neck, and Dante; holding both Ivory and the Demon's gun at opposing foes.

Neither of the three moved.

"What hole did you drag him from?" Dante jerked his head at the Demon.

"Behind the mirror." Adriana jerked her head at the large dirty mirror on the wall a short way away. She suddenly spun, using a foot to sweep both men off their feet and catching Ivory before it hit the floor. She stood over them both, a gun on each man.

"Why don't we try playing nice?" She asked. Both platinum-haired men looked at each other then leapt to their feet, sending the trio crashing through a wall into the next room. The Demon had his sword once more - picked up from the ground when he fell – pointed at Dante's chest. Dante - in possession of the Demon's gun and Ivory again – had the Demon's own gun cocked under his chin and Ivory resting against Adriana's chest. Unarmed, Adriana simply glared at both of them.

"Why don't we start with introductions?" The Demon tapped his sword against Dante's coat, making it 'chink' on his black buttons.

"You seem to know who I am… I wouldn't suggest that." Dante placed a boot on Adriana's chest as she started to rise.

"You," The Demon eyed him up and down, "Are Dante… the son of Sparda. Yes?"

"And you know that, how?"

"Who wouldn't? You walk around with white hair; wearing a bright red coat… you stand out more than a little."

"And you are?" Dante narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The Demon was silent. Adriana lashed out with a foot, catching the Demon under his ribcage – breaking ribs with a 'crack'. He stumbled, winded. Dante caught the Demons arm and twisted it behind his back savagely.

"Well?" He hissed.

"Fuck you." The Demon snarled.

"He claims he's your brother… more or less." Adriana leant back on the chunk of sandstone she was resting on.

"Oh yes?" Dante's grip tightened on Ivory, "I've heard many a Demon claim to be the long lost soul of my dead twin brother."

"What makes you doubt me?" The Demon asked, "I have Yamato, don't I?"

"What did our mother give us for our 7th birthday? Icecream, Cake or something else?"

"Our father's amulet, broken in two."

There was a long silence… Adriana had never seen Dante speechless before. The Demon suddenly flung his sword to the side, leapt on Dante and rolled, slamming them both against a hard sandstone wall.

A gunshot echoed in the room and Adriana leapt to her feet. Who had shot who?

Both men didn't move for a moment, until Dante lifted his right hand and shoved the Demon off him onto the floor with a grunt.

"You killed him!" Adriana gaped, "Your brother…"

"He's not dead." Dante said quietly. Snapping another clip into Ivory, he stood. After a moment, he offered Adriana a hand. She took it, standing stiffly. Dante suddenly closed a hand around her arm, pulling her closer.

"…and if you ever point another weapon at me," He murmured under his breath into her ear, "game or no game – you won't live long enough to regret it." Adriana heard the threat thicken in his voice. He released her arm and crouched next to the groaning Demon.

"Why isn't he healing?" She asked quietly, not wanting to provoke him further.

"My bullets." Dante drew a clip and tossed a bullet in her direction. She caught it deftly and examined it in the fading light.

"Holy Water cast in silver casings can stop anything from the Underworld dead in its tracks."

"So why didn't you kill him?"

Dante was silent. He rose and picked up Ebony, Alastor and Adriana's scythe from the other room.

"What are we going to do with him?"

He slid Alastor into its sheath on his back and tossed the scythe to Adriana. He checked his watch and looked outside the window at the fading sun.

"Okay, this is what's happening." Dante said, "We have 15 minutes until the castle changes-"

"Or not." Adriana muttered.

"If and when it does," He continued casting a glance at the crumpled form of the Demon in the floor, "You will be here with… Vergil."

Oh, so now we believe him? Adriana asked silently and sighed, "You're leaving me with a Demon who could wipe the floor with my ass!" She shot at his turned back as he left the room.

"Maybe he'll save me the effort." Dante muttered.