Devil May Cry
The Devil Has Me Today
The Decent
It was so cold here. She shivered. She wished she could wrap her arms, which her tied above her head, around herself to keep her body – her heart – warm. She opened her eyes slightly but the world was out of focus, all she could see was the ice that clung to her eyelashes. She exhaled, her breath turning to a soft warm mist. She could hear steps approaching her. She tried to look up, see his face, but she couldn't focus enough to see anyway.
"Hello little sister" said a voice that made it feel like there were snakes crawling through her ears. "I have a deal to make with you..."
Finding Dante wasn't hard. He was so predictable for Vergil. Vergil wasn't one to drink often; he got drunk fairly easily, although he could hold it down. He followed Dante's scent easily. He accepted his demon side even more then before now, completely embracing it. He could see now that he hadn't been one hundred percent sure of himself back then, that his need to protect....protect something had been holding his power back. He still felt that need but the power was, for some reason, flowing around this block.
He stopped outside of a dinged up bar. It looked like it had seen better days....about fifty years ago. He knew Dante was in there and he didn't care that there were over half a dozen humans in there as well. He marched in, knocking over a dark haired man in the process and to Dante's table where he was 'entertaining' a girl with black hair. She was clearly not human.
Fangs protruded over her lip, her black hair was long and tangled in some places and her eyes were red with blood lust. Dante was flirting with Vampires now, wonderful. She was wearing a shirt that exposed her stomach and a skirt that showed too much of her legs, but boots covered them almost as well as pants would. She looked up at him and as he got a better look at her, he could see her eyes were naturally red.
"Vampire?" she asked, her voice was so much duller then Lux's. He realized how long he had been around her. Simply too long. "Beg your pardon, Vergil, I am a werewolf"
He wasn't startled by her words. "Get out of my mind" he stated. No threat carried in his voice and he could feel Dante's stare. He turned to look at his brother. Dante looked confused.
He seemed to regain himself and he slapped the werewolf's ass and started to sit up. "Okay, Exiel, I got stuff to do." The girl, Exiel got up with a huff and sat down on the bench as Dante got up. "Tell Ruth to put that on my tab"
Vergil was already moving towards the entrance again. He could hear Dante behind him and he stopped outside the bar where the cool night air could wash the scent of sweaty, drunk humans from him.
"Damn it Verg what the hell happened to you?" asked Dante right away. "You look sick or something. I knew you were always pale but...."
"I need your half of the amulet"
"What? Vergil, we already have been over this-"
"I know!" snarled Vergil. "I know but I need to help someone."
"You? Help someone?"
"Shes in hell, I need to get her out soon or she'll be dead"
"She?" A small smirk came over Dante's face. "Why Vergil I didn't know you finally got a girlfriend"
Vergil couldn't call forth the rage or energy needed to swipe that grin off of Dante's face. "She's not-" he started but shook his head, Dante would be more willing to help if he thought that Vergil wanted to save her for romantic reasons. "Yes, I have. Give me your half of the amulet."
"No"
"What?" Vergil finally felt that anger. It was brewing, dangerously brewing. "I need to save her!"
He realized how right his words were. He didn't have to save her, he could have walked away if that was all the compulsion led to but he needed to. It was a dull throb somewhere inside of him that hurt more and more as his mind imagined the things that Lucifer could – and most likely would -do to her.
"I mean, 'No, I'm not letting you do this alone'"
"Dante..." he couldn't find the words. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. To him it felt like weakness. Lux was his weakness, she made him bend in a way no other woman – a way no other person – ever made him bend.
Sure he had been with other woman in the past. Men had needs and he'd often go to bars, find some drunken woman who was more then willing to give him a few hours of attention and take her back to her home, have sex and then disappear. He had done that in the past when he needed to but he had never made a habit out of it.
None of the six or seven woman he had done that with had ever connected with him, at any level. They were just a way to stifle his need and then nothing more. He wondered what made her so unique to every other woman in the world.
"Fine" he said finally. "We need to move though. Now"
Dante grinned and started off with Vergil. "You must be in love. I've never seen you so frustrated bro"
"I....I wouldn't call it love. I don't know what I'm feeling" Vergil growled. He wished he knew.
"Well then, talk about it. Tell me about your girlfriend"
Vergil gave him a slight, sideways glare as they walked then ran his one hand over his face. He sighed, looked away and tried to ignore Dante. Suddenly he didn't feel comfortable with this conversation anymore. That made it even more awkward. Dante never made him fell uncomfortable. Ever.
"Come on Verg, talking about it might help you sort it out" Dante's voice sounded almost concerned, and his hand came down of Vergil's shoulder. "Plus I'm happy for you bro"
Vergil stared at his brother's face for a moment and then sighed. "She's not human" he started. "She's half angel, half shapeshifter but she looks so much like an angel or what I'd suppose them to look like"
Dante nodded his head. "What color was her hair? I've always thought you'd go for the dark haired girls"
"You're wrong about me then Dante. Her hair was golden" Vergil stopped as he sensed them drawing closer to a spot that they could open the gate to hell. He then moved the last few steps quickly and then passed at the spot.
"Here....well are you ready?" Dante's grin was cocky. Vergil wished he knew what was waiting for them within and wished he could be as ready as Dante but his stomach twisted. Fear for Lux made him want to almost puke. But when Dante held up his amulet Vergil quickly took his off and held it close to Dante's. They connected in a flash of light.
They spun in circles and then where they spun the gate to hell opened. Several demons quickly crawled out as Dante and Vergil charged inside to the first level, Limbo.
It was beautiful here, peaceful but sorrow carried in the gentle wind here. There was a field but it was across a deep river. A man stood by a boat; he looked powerful and regal, like a king without the fancy accessories. He looked at Dante and Vergil, eyes wise and judging.
"Neither of ye art dead" he said, his voice low, but somehow booming and strong.
"Nope" Dante said, cocky grin still in place.
"We need to get across" Vergil clarified.
"Why does thou wish to cross?"
"Who are you to stop us?"
"I am Charon. I help thee dead cross thee River Archeron to thee first level of hell, Limbo. Now, tell I, why does thou wish to cross thee River Archeron?"
Vergil stared at the man a moment more. He could decide what to say to make the many let them cross. Finally he decided the truth would be best.
"I am Vergil Sparda and I have come to rescues Luciana from her brother" His voice was strong, he knew what he wanted and he was going to get it no matter what happened.
"Luciana? I did not see Lord Lucifer nor Lady Luciana come through here....So Lucifer has his hands on her again.... She is in great danger. I will let thou pass if thou promise to save her no matter what. I have no wish to see Lady Luciana dead" He stepped aside so Vergil and Dante could enter the boat. "Promise to save her Vergil Sparda"
"I will save her. You don't need to fright about that" A cruel smile appeared on Vergil's face before he boarded, Dante behind him. The smile disappeared as they floated towards the next shore. Dante patted his shoulder again.
"It'll be alright Verg"
"I hope so" was all the Vergil muttered before the boat connected with the next shore. Vergil jumped out, Dante came next and they stood the watching the people –spirits- walk around, seemingly carefree. The sense of sorrow was greater here. No punishment was going on here. These were merely the souls not worthy of heaven, though they had not committed any great sin.
No one tried to stop them as they headed towards where the wind was blowing from, the second level of hell that punished those who were Lustful. The wind began to howl as they got closer. The light from the first level began to disappear until they were left in darkness with only the howling wind as company.
It was hard moving in this level, slow, agonizing with the wind feeling as though it was tearing their flesh from the skin itself. But Vergil was determined to get through this level of hell and soon they did. They made it through the wind and to the third level.
The ground was all sticky mud, dirty rain pounded on them, heavy, unrelenting and not to forget they could hear Cerberus's growls from somewhere in the distance. It made the brothers tread carefully as they moved in the pounding rain. They were trying to avoid Cerberus if they could. They didn't want to be tired before they fought Lucifer, as they knew they'd need to.
As the growls got louder so did some screams. They could see figures in the mud, sinking while trying to eat the rain. This was where the Gluttonous were punished. Vergil could feel their agony as they moved, it seeped into his skin almost giving him a feeling of despair as the rain beat even harder on their heads. They could see Cerberus now. He was tearing into a man's stomach as he screamed. Dante moved faster, Vergil just didn't look. The rain began to lighten and Cerberus's growls and the screams died.
They had entered the next circle.
The River Styx swelled before them, moving slowly. Before that they could see Spirits rolling weights back and forth, screaming when a weight ran over a hand or over a foot. Dante watched them, grimacing.
"Who guards this level Vergil?" he asked leaning towards his brother, keeping his voice down.
"Plutus" Vergil muttered back through unmoving lips. His eyes scanned the area for the wolf-like demon. He was the demon of wealth and he punished the greedy, those who stopped rolling their weights were ripped apart. They were spirits though, so they'd slowly mend until they were back together. The process would start all over then.
Awareness tingled across Vergil's skin like an electric shock. He drew his sword in one quickly, flawless movement and whipped around to the right. He was slightly dissatisfied to see that Dante was just as quick on the draw.
Plutus stood before them. He was tall, far taller then either of them, tuffs of fur covered his naked body. His ears were large and pointed his face longer almost like that of a wolf. His feel and hands had pads on them, with long curved claws; his mouth was turned in a frown, fangs slipping over his lips.
"Thou art trespassing in my domain" growled the massive beast. His voice sounded like he was sick, it was a mere rumble. "What is thou's reasoning for being here?"
Vergil shifted stance, ready to fight. He didn't feel like explaining himself twice in one day and he had too much built up tension running through his limbs. He needed to let it out. He had to let it slip from his body, embrace his demon form and blow through hell, to get to Lux.
Plutus growled, bearing his fangs, all of which were sharp. His claws looked even more deadly when he held them ready for battle.
"Hey, hey." Said Dante, stepping up. "We're just here on a little rescue mission. Don't suppose you can fetch can you mutt?"
Plutus snarled at Dante and Vergil glared at his brother. Television had truly made him brain dead. "What does thou mean thou is on a rescue mission?"
"Easily, mutt. We're here to rescues my brother's friend. Her name is Luciana, ya know her?"
"Thou is here to rescues Lady Luciana?" The giant wolf demon hurried adjusted his pose and bowed rather gracefully for his size. "What can I do to help thou quest?"
"Get out of our way" snarled Vergil, disappointed in that his prospect to fight had been tarnished. He moved closer to the Styx, out of Plutus's range. Dante followed, grinning like a idiot. "That was a stupid move, Plutus will rip you apart on our way out"
"Are you gonna laugh when he does?"
"No"
Dante fell into silence as they stood on the edge of the River Styx. They could see the wrathful tearing at each other in the mud. They screamed and attacked each other, spilling blood into the muddy river. The slothful laid there, occasionally getting cut up by those fighting.
"How do we get across?" asked Dante, seeming slightly disturbed by the sight. Vergil watched it unemotionally. It didn't bother him. What did bother him was the aching in his heart. The worry for Lux's well being, the worry for her life.
"We wade and lets hurry."
"Why?"
"Lux" he muttered under his breath and hurried into the muddy waters. Dante followed. Luckily for them, the River Styx was neither deep nor long. A few gashes were acquired from the Wrathful souls who lashed out without watching who they were attacking, but they healed quickly and even before they reached the next shore.
They could then see Lucifer's damned city....the City of Dis. A huge plain surrounds it filled with burning tombs; fire was everywhere, singing the very air with its heat. But that wasn't the thing that made Vergil's heart stop; it wasn't the dead falling into the burning flames as the harpies tore at their failing limbs that made his breathing slow. He didn't even see the city in the background.
All he could see was Lux. She was unharmed, that he could see but there was a spark in her eye she didn't recognize. Then, four beautiful pitch black wings spread from her back. He barely noted that there was someone next to her, because all he could do was stare at her demonic beauty.
Then a cruel smile came to her lips.
"Vergil, I've been waiting"
Terra's Note: Here it is! The next part! Hope you liked it. I got one review (you know who you are sweetie and I thank you tons!) and it made me want to write more. This update was faster then the last you know. Imagine if I get three or four reviews (hint hint). Now listen, I only get online on the weekends now though, but I type my brains out on those weekends. I hope to get another update up next week! Till then!
