Good morning everyone, hope you are well. As usual, thanks for reviews/alerts/favs. Really glad to know some of you are enjoying this story. Thank you so much, I find it hard to motivate myself to write recently. I have just noticed I now have over 70 alerts for this pic, which is truly awesome but let's see how this goes.
V FOR VERGIL
"People will reveal who they are if you just pay attention."
...
...
...
As Aramis dragged a reluctant Lucy out of the room, Griffon shot back inside and with a flap of his wings, sent a powerful bolt of electricity towards her direction, knocking the girl off her feet and sent her crashing to the wall with a scream whilst Lucy tumbled to the side.
"Not on my watch, sister!" Griffon yelled, before he turned to Lucy. "Well, what are ya waiting for? Get outta here!"
Lucy hastily stood up and began making a beeline for the exit. Griffon watched as Aramis slowly pushed herself off the ground and got back up, growling in fury. The wall was cracked from the impact and her clothes disheveled, but her eyes had turned blood red and her lips pulled back, fangs bared, before she lifted her arm and from her long sleeve, a large cluster of thick and heavy tree roots burst forth and slammed towards Griffon's direction. He evaded by flying to the side and the roots smashed into the wall, causing it to crumble; he shot another crackle of electricity at her direction in response but she avoided and followed after him, sending another wave of roots and vines towards him which he also avoided by darting left and right. As he passed the window, roots smashed through the glass from outside and ensnared him by the talons, causing him to squawk.
He was freed when a dark spike rammed through the root and severed it in half, causing Aramis to cry out in anger. Turning to the source, a black panther jumped out from the undergrowth and landed on all four paws at the ready.
"About damn time!" Griffon exclaimed as Shadow joined his side and glanced at him. Together, they both faced the demon.
Meanwhile, Lucy was making her way through the shack, ducking and dodging from demonic tree roots and flinging open random doors. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she could see Griffon and Shadow engrossed in battle with the demon who was wholly preoccupied with the two. Aramis' appearance was becoming less and less human; her skin was turning a foul-green and resembling the texture of a tree, her eyes red and insect-like. The faint ringing noise continued.
"V?! Where are you?" Lucy yelled, as she opened one door and stumbled inside where she was greeted with the sight of a fresh, mangled corpse that was lying over a countertop, a cleaver sticking out of its belly. Meanwhile, many severed arms and legs were hanging off hooks on the wall, identical to what one would see in a butcher's shop. A few decapitated heads sat on a shelf, eyes closed, mouth agape in agony. Lucy backed away, bumping into a shelf and knocking the contents down. A few jars dropped off and smashed to the ground, revealing eyeballs, tongues, severed fingers and a few pulpy, human hearts. She stumbled and turned the other way, finding a door that would eventually lead her to the exit. Once outside, she could see Aramis' followers running away from the shack in terror and the smell of pollen and perfume was thick in the air. She stopped at the doorway, clutching the frame as sounds of the battle could be heard in the background. No... how could V do this to her? Why did he bring her back to this? To this horrible, cruel world?
The bell rang again and it was much louder; turning to her right, she saw it affixed to the door. This was the bell Circe despised, the one that controlled the Naga and had once been used by Hag, but not for this purpose. Lucy scooped it off the wall and held it in her hands where she'd unintentionally made it ring. Grabbing it by the swinging appendage inside that would cause the noise, Lucy tried to rip it off, tugging and pulling with all her might. No use, it was stuck fast.
...
Meanwhile, Griffon and Shadow were still fighting the demon - the bird started zooming around the room as quickly as he could, spinning out of the way as she tried to snatch him in her arms whilst Shadow kept the full offensive on the melee side. The shack would not be able to hold up any longer, the walls and pipes emitting low groans and creaks as the roots began to stretch further and further over the shack and into the walls; the roots continued to shift and move in a bid to snatch the bird and the panther only for the bird to evade in seconds.
Screaming in frustration, Aramis prepared another assault whilst Lucy returned to the room. "Griffon!" She yelled, and the bird turned to her as she clutched the bell tightly in her hand. "I need your help!"
"Oh yeah?" The bird squawked, ducking away from a massive tree root that had been heading his way. "I'm a little busy here, if you haven't noticed!"
"I need you to - " Lucy was promptly interrupted by a swinging vine that slammed into her and threw her against the wall. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, gasping in pain. The bell dropped out of her hands and clattered to the floor.
Aramis saw, her eyes narrowing. "I see what you're up to."
Sending a few vines to seize the bell, Lucy re-opened her eyes as roots and vines began to wrap around her body and she struggled against her confines as much as she could, pulling her arm free and trying to reach for the bell until one of the tendrils wrapped itself tightly around her ankle and lifted her high up into the air and her view went upside down. "Griffon, get the bell!" She yelled, just as one of the vines started creeping towards it in an effort to snag it.
"Alright! I'm on it!" Griffon immediately swooped towards it, sending a bolt of lightning and causing the vine to drop the bell and soon it was snatched by the bird, who got smacked in the chest by another thick vine that Aramis sent after it - and he dropped the bell, his grip on it loosening and it was falling. Aramis tried to grab it but it was then seized by the panther who caught it in its jaws and another large cluster of roots came bursting through the windows, going after the panther who leapt and ducked away whilst Lucy remained pinned to the wall until the beast rapidly tried to make its way towards her, only for a vine to come shooting after it.
"Look out!" She shouted, just as the vine wrapped around the panther by the middle and lifted it off the ground; the bell fell out of its jaws as it struggled.
Griffon zoomed towards the bell as quickly as he could. Aramis spotted the bird from the corner of her eye and sent her fist towards it and opening her claws, she crushed it under her grip. There! She got him!
It fell silent and she was cackling, opening her palm to see that the bird had been replaced with a large piece of broken pipe. Gritting her teeth, she cast it aside. "Stay still, pesky bird!" Aramis growled as the bird flew out from his hiding place, laughing at her whilst she evaded an attack from Shadow, who had freed itself and was now whaling blows on the rest of the roots that were surrounding them. How was the human controlling these demons if he was unconscious? The bird grabbed the bell once more and started flying towards Lucy. Furious, she slammed her roots everywhere in an attempt to destroy him once and for all. With one final snatch, she grabbed the bird and this time, she saw him struggling and she squeezed her fist so hard the bird promptly disappeared and she smirked triumphantly.
"Got you." Aramis hissed, "You'll be a fine addition to my stew!"
"Not quite!" yelled a voice, and she turned to see Griffon a fraction away from her with Shadow by his side.
"How?!" She screamed, eyes wide with fury, "How did you - "
She stopped.
It was... silent.
The bell.
The bell!
Her eyes went wide upon realization, and she unfurled her fist to see the mangled bell in her palm.
Soon, the ground trembled and the demon gasped as the roof of the hut caved in seconds and a dark shadow covered her form and she was seized from above - it was the serpent - and as it lifted its giant head up, they could see Aramis' roots sticking out of its jaws, muffled screams emitting from within as the Naga shook its head fiercely from the side to side, the muffled screams soon growing silent. Lucy was finally freed and she dropped to the floor, coughing, before glancing up at the serpent. Aramis' body went limp after a few moments, and blood began dripping down the sides of Circe's great jaws. The awful crunch of bones could be heard and Lucy stared as Circe turned and discarded the chewed up corpse on the ground outside in a heap of saliva, venom and blood. Aramis resembled nothing but a pile of mashed up meat and limbs before dissolving into nothingness.
Rising to stand, Lucy made her way outside. They noticed the perfumed aroma was slowly beginning to vanish from the atmosphere and the serpent glanced around for a short while before it proceeded to slither away. Griffon and Lucy exchanged looks before they followed the serpent with Shadow plodding after them silently; Circe arrived at the base of the tree that was growing out of Hag's roof and with great strength, she reached over and clamped her bloodstained jaws around the tree and pulled it off entirely - the sound was painfully loud, similar to a bellow of thunder as roots, earth and leaves hailed from the sky - and the snake dumped the tree to the ground which began to turn into a pale, ashen white color before it ultimately withered into dust, revealing a form within that was curled up in a fetal position.
"Hag?!" Lucy exclaimed with wide eyes as soon as she laid eyes on the figure; it was an old woman with long, gray hair and dressed in shabby robes, and Lucy hastily made her way over and dropped to her knees before her. "Hag?"
Lifting her into the arms, the old woman started coughing and slowly opened her eyes after a few tense moments of silence. "...Lucy...?"
Nodding, she said, "Yes, it's me."
The old woman's eyes went wide. "...Oh..."
"It's me, Hag. I'm here. I'm really here."
Hag raised a wrinkly old hand to lay on the side of Lucy's face and croaked out, "My poor child...I thought I'd never see you again."
...
Later.
"Will he be okay?" Lucy asked worriedly.
Hag let go of V's arm after taking his pulse and let it rest by his side, nodding. "He's fine. He's just asleep. It's a toxin, but it's harmless and it will wear off soon." She got up off the bed and hobbled over to the table whilst Lucy moved to sit on the edge of V's bed, watching him as he slept, pulling the blanket higher over his body and tucking his long, pale arm in. Hag watched the interaction curiously before she said, "Lucy, who did he say he was again?"
"He said his name's V." Lucy replied, "...He's been taking care of me."
Hag twiddled her fingers. "...I see."
"Yeah."
"...Just...V?"
"Yep."
"And did he ever tell you what the 'V' stands for?"
"No."
"Did you ask?"
"Uh...No." Lucy said, sweating lightly. In all honesty, she hadn't asked him yet - she didn't think she had the proper chance to ask. Previously and she had a thousand questions running in her mind but now nothing remotely came to mind. "Okay, when he wakes up, I'll ask."
Following that, Hag and Lucy turned to the young man and scratched at her chin. "How long have you known him for?"
"A few days."
"And that's also how long you have been traveling with him?"
Lucy nodded. "V brought me back, Hag."
Now Hag appeared wary. "Did he tell you how?" She asked, and Lucy shook her head. "Resurrections are, and require, powerful dark magic, my dear." She murmured, before noticing Lucy's concerned expression. Sighing, she decided to drop the matter for now. "There is a lot to catch up on. It must be so confusing for you. Let me know how I can help."
"I want to tell you everything, Hag. I want to tell you but..."
"First, you want to know where Vergil is?"
Lucy hesitated, then said, "Yes."
"...I don't know where Vergil is." Hag said with a sigh, "I'm sorry, Lucy."
She didn't appear surprised. "It's...it's fine. Hag, if he's still alive, he'll be a lot older than me now. He'll be forty something. If I reappear to him, enter his life again, I don't know how he'd react." She wondered if she should tell Hag about how she learned that his destiny to meet another woman and have a son with her. Lucy said instead, "He might have his own family. I don't belong in his life. I could even be the part he wants to forget, to erase. Maybe it's better off if we don't see each other ever again." Now that she thought about it, why was she even here? Again, she needed to ask V.
"Of course not, my dear." Hag said, which surprised her somewhat.
"Hag, do...do you know if V is related to Vergil and Dante in any way? Perhaps he's...another Son of Sparda?"
Hag shook her head. "No, he's not. That, I know."
And Lucy's shoulders sagged. Right, well that scratched the theory of V's origin completely off her list. "V's human."
"Yes."
"But he can use demons?"
"Yes." Hag said, "They are his familiars. It means the host has some demonic power."
"How does one gain demonic power?"
"It's possible, my dear. It's not completely unheard of." Hag replied, "The user could have created a pact with demons, or simply taught themselves, immersing into the dark arts. But by no means is this an easy feat, of course."
Lucy pondered to herself. V was becoming more and more mysterious than ever.
Hag moved to sit at the table in the middle of the room and Lucy followed, taking the seat beside her. With a sigh, she held her cane tightly and the knot in Lucy's gut came undone upon the terribly disappointing news. V was not another relative of Dante's, and Hag didn't know what happened to Vergil. "Listen. Don't worry about it too much. Don't think about it too much. From what I can tell, this V gentleman seems to really care for you, and he's taken care of you unconditionally. I think he's a good man, Lucy."
"Yeah, I know, but I'd still like to know."
The witch sighed heavily, "...I understand completely. My dear, so much has happened. I can't believe it's been more than twenty years and yet here you are before me, looking exactly the same as the day you did when you left my home. I still remember...you looked so happy when you set off with Vergil that day...and I never saw you again. When this young man wakes up, I have to ask him how he did it. I didn't know what had happened to you, Lucy... Whether you were with Vergil the entire time...but if I had known what had happened to you, I wouldn't have... I'd have asked you not to leave, I could've - " Hag slapped her wrinkly hand over her mouth, "To think...you were dead...you had been killed."
As Hag started to weep silently, Lucy watched uncomfortably before she wrapped her arm around the little old lady and brought her close into a tight embrace.
"It's...it's too sad, my dear. It's too..." Still sobbing, Hag wept bitterly whilst shaking her head again and again. "And Vergil is...My grandson is...I don't know what happened to him... and Dante has not visited me for years and I'm so afraid for them. My poor boys. Sparda and Eva...I have failed them."
Lucy opened her mouth to say something but ultimately nothing came out. She had wanted to apologize to Hag for the suffering she had endured from Dante and Vergil's prolonged absence and not knowing what had happened to them, and for discovering that Lucy had been killed... and although resurrected, the fact did not seem to bring Hag any peace of mind. Lucy couldn't find the right words. Heck, were there even any right words...? A long silence spawned with Lucy rubbing at Hag's shoulders warmly until the old witch finally stopped sniffling and dried her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lucy." She snivelled loudly, patting her on the hand. "Ah, Dante... Dante would be so happy to see you again, my dear. When he used to visit me, he told me all these fantastic stories about you and Vergil."
Hag tried to smile but it was no use; Lucy was far more glum than she had ever been, "A lot happened between me and Vergil. At the very end, I lost him." She finished quietly. "...He was all I had, Hag."
"Go find Dante, my dear."
Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I will."
"The man named V," Hag added, patting Lucy's hand warmly, "What else did he tell you?"
"He said he wants to restore me. I...I really think he knows Vergil or is connected to him somehow - "
Hag waited, as she believed Lucy was about to say more, but when she noticed that Lucy was now sitting limply, staring emptily into space, her eyes had completely glazed over. "Lucy? Lucy!" Hag cried, and she shook her head sadly.
Taking her by the arm, Hag left V's room with Lucy and returned to the lounge to see Griffon outside who was flying in circles around Circe - the serpent had shrunk to a more manageable size and was trying to snatch him in her jaws - the interchange looked pleasant and playful, however, so Hag didn't pay further attention to the duo although the bird returned, flying through the broken window to settle down on the table. Hag glanced around her destroyed kitchen and sighed.
"What a mess..." She muttered, whilst the bird looked at her with its head tilted to the side. "Ah...good bird. You've worked very hard, haven't you? I have just the thing..." Hag eased Lucy into a chair and went to a random, lone cupboard, opening it to reveal nothing but cobwebs and dust which she batted away with her cane. Reaching inside, she grabbed a mould-covered jar and opened the lid, pulling out two stiff dead mice. "Here you go. A special treat. Pickled, century-old mice." Placing it on the table, Griffon fluffed his wings then pecked at the body with his beak before he scooped it into his mouth. Circe appeared at the window also, her forked tongue spitting out and Hag gave her two mice also.
"Lots of people died here, lady." The bird said with a sneer after he had downed his meal, "Think it'll do ya some real good if you start looking into some real estate."
"You're right." The witch murmured as she looked at her surroundings once more. Her shack was damaged beyond repair. Only two to three rooms were effectively of use now - V's room, Hag's own room and the kitchen which was still chock full of human body parts.
The rest of her shack was destroyed... and it did not feel like her home anymore. A stranger had taken over - Hag had been imprisoned in the tree that was growing out of her own home for a while now. From what she knew and what Circe told her, the demon that had imprisoned her was a trespasser called Aramis who had tricked Hag, arriving at the hut one day with the pretence of becoming a disciple but inevitably had darker, ulterior motives. After imprisoning Hag in the tree, Aramis gained control of Circe, who was more than capable of destroying Aramis in a single bite (literally). With the bell destroyed, Circe left no time in returning to devour the flower demon but a lot of innocent lives had been lost.
Hag sighed heavily as Circe kept her head low before her. "I'm sorry, master, I could not protect you." The snake hissed as she stared at her with beady red eyes.
The witch merely patted the old snake on the head, inspecting the rest of the damage the hut had sustained over the course of years. Aramis had also gathered a bunch of loyal followers over the years, albeit mostly tricking them to become her food, subduing them with her toxin. The surviving humans had run off somewhere, disappearing into the woods. She hoped they were returning home.
Footsteps could be heard and Hag glanced to the doorway to see the young man named V with his silver cane in hand and he spotted Lucy seated on the chair, blinking into space vacantly. Whilst the bird flew over to him immediately, ecstatic to see his master, Hag watched as V went over to Lucy and crouched down in front of her, scooping her hand in his. Hag raised a brow in response. "You're awake." She muttered, tottering over to them with her cane.
"Yes." He replied; his voice was soft and gentle, "...You have my thanks."
"Not a problem, young man. Thank you for bringing Lucy back." She replied, and V held onto Lucy's hand even tighter and Hag stared with much interest. Should she stop him? Pull his hand away and tell him that Lucy was already taken? That she had a lover? Inspecting the young man from head to toe, she squinted her eyes at him. After a while of intense scrutiny, she said, "Did Vergil send you?"
V turned to her slowly and Hag waited. However, he threw his glance to the floor briefly, then swerved his gaze back to the old woman. "...No."
"Then how do you know Lucy, and how did you know to come find me?"
"Vergil did not send me... but he is the reason why I am here."
Hag's eyes widened. "So...you know where Vergil is?"
"If I said I did, and if I said I didn't...what would you do?"
Hag seemed genuinely puzzled by his words. "Well, I...I would..." She stopped to scratch her head, "Just who are you?"
"My name is V. That's all you need to know." Deciding he'd had enough of this interrogation, he added, "Can you heal her?"
Another steely silence passed until Hag nodded. "Possibly. It might take a few weeks or so." She muttered, "And I know demons have gone after her. Don't worry, I can create charms and wards to keep them away."
The young man appeared genuinely grateful and clutched Lucy's hand, lifting her palm to his face before brushing his thin lips over her knuckles, eyes closed. "Thank you, Hag." Glancing at Lucy, he smiled as he placed a hand over her cheek, brushing some hair away from the sides of her face.
...
Later on the night and V woke up and glanced around the room. Hag had welcomed them to stay at her shack although it was completely beyond reparable and she would need to move soon but she had assured them that they could stay for a few days to rest up properly. With limited space, they'd resorted to sharing a room and Lucy was given the only bed in the room whilst he would take the chair. Glancing over, Lucy was missing from the bed. He got up from the chair and grabbed his cane. V left the room and into the corridor before he headed towards the back porch and towards the door, opening it.
Lucy sat cross-legged with her back to him, staring up at the glossy full moon that was hanging high in the dark sky, surrounded by a sprinkle of stars. He took one step forwards and then his vision blurred, his head throbbed, his heart lurched. Clutching his head, V was hit with a bout of deja vu - although this had definitely happened before. She turned round, hearing him approach and at first, they stared at each other in tepid silence until she said, "Hello, V. Have a seat."
Interesting. She was talking normally and V slowly sat down beside her at the invitation. She observed him for a few seconds before she let out a sigh and then gazed at the moon whilst he stared at her. "Lucy. It's late." V murmured.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Are you well?"
"I'm okay, just tired. How's your wound?"
"Fine."
"Good." She replied. They simmered into a brief silence until Lucy added, "We haven't had the chance to talk properly. I wanted to thank you. Also, I want to know more about you."
He had an inkling she would ask him this question once she regained lucidity. "Ah...well..." He smiled wryly as he threw his gaze to his lap, where his cane was lying horizontal over his legs, "...I'm afraid there is not much to me, Lucy."
"You could start with your name. What does 'V' stand for?"
He hesitated, before he uttered, "He is called by thy name, for he calls himself a Lamb: he is meek and he is mild, he became a little child: I a child and thou a lamb, we are called by his name."
It occurred to her that he'd recited a verse from a poem. "You...you read that to me before."
The corner of his lips tugged upwards. "...I did." From within his jacket, he pulled out his book with a thin smile, holding it up to her, "...When I was a boy I preferred to stay indoors...and read a lot of books."
Lucy stared at the brown book with the 'V' embedded on the front before glancing at the name of the author, "William Blake?"
"Yes."
"Your favorite, I bet."
"Indeed." He replied. There was a brief silence as V put his book away safely.
"V?"
"Yes, Lucy?"
"Are you...um...Never mind."
"What were you going to ask me?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter anyway, not anymore." She muttered. Their gazes met but neither looked away. She tried to remember where she may or have seen him from; perhaps she knew him a long time ago. But if more than twenty years had passed since her death, V appeared to be in his mid-twenties so he must have been a child when she was alive...but that didn't make sense either, no. V manipulated demons. Griffon, Shadow and the other demon he had - the golem - he controlled them. She just couldn't figure it out and she was trying hard, so very hard if she had forgotten... They held gazes for a long time as she tried to suss out his identity until he slowly began to lean in to her. She blinked, sliding her gaze to his lips, but did not move. "Did Vergil send you?"
His fist curled at once. Hag had asked him the same question also. "No." He bit out as he retreated from her, returning to his spot.
"Then Dante sent you?"
"No. This has nothing to do with Dante."
"Then tell me everything."
He fell silent.
"Come on, V. Tell me the truth."
"Forgive me, Lucy. Only time will tell."
She was becoming a little weary from his cryptic words. "V, tell me." Facing him properly, she said, "Tell me who you really are, and why you brought me back? Who am I to you and why do you care for me so much - "
"Because I love you, Lucy." He said, "I love you more than anything, more than my own life."
Another silence spawned at once.
Her jaw dropped and she began spluttering incoherent nonsense. Her cheeks reddened as she immediately got up to stand. It seemed she wasn't expecting that answer. He followed, rising to stand in front of her and she turned away, unable to look at him in the eye. He could tell she was uncomfortable. "V... okay, Griffon said something to me similar before, but I-I didn't...didn't think much about it."
"It is the truth."
Is this a joke? Is he serious? Her thoughts were running amok. "Why? I mean...V, I don't...look, I...I don't even know you, I've never even seen you before in my life!"
When he returned to silence, Lucy shook her head, turned away and she began to head for the door.
A twang of despair hit him; he knew he had to get through to her before she left. He had wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her the truth about him. It was now or never. This was the right moment. "Lucy, wait."
She stopped in mid-step, then slowly turned to him.
"Please." He implored, "...You're right. I should tell you. I did not mean to confuse you, to frighten you. I'm - Nngh!" Unfortunately V doubled over, his entire body burning with excruciating pain that had sprung into his system from nowhere the moment he had wanted to tell her the truth. Was it the wound from earlier, and had it opened again? Dropping to his knees, he had to use his cane to keep him supported. A pain like no other had spread throughout his chest and he cried out, clutching at his heart, squeezing his eyes shut.
"V? What's wrong?" Lucy was at his side, helping him up. When the pain finally subsided, he was panting. Unable to form words, he merely looked at her in discomfort and her expression softened. "...Are you okay?"
"I..." He said weakly, struggling with his words.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean... just take it easy." She muttered, before she looped his arm over her shoulder and she helped him to stand.
No... he was wanting to tell her his identity, who he really was. He had wanted to confess but he couldn't... As though his very well-being was torn apart into a million pieces, he had been prevented to do so. She helped inside the shack and into the room they shared where he limped over to the chair and sat down, panting.
"V, use the bed." Lucy said as she crouched beside him.
He shook his head. "No...I can rest like this..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes..." He muttered, "Go to sleep, Lucy."
She bit her lip. Vergil used to prefer to sit on the chair too... Lucy made a disgruntled noise before she saw his bandaged chest. Shaking her head, she tugged on his arm and gestured to the bed. "No way, you need to lie down properly, you need proper - "
Lucy stopped when she spotted the lone figure standing outside in front of the field from the window. It lingered for a while before slinking inside, into the tall flower stalks, vanishing from sight.
He glanced up at her, but she wasn't looking at him. "What is it?"
She let go of V, went up to the window and stared outside for a long moment. Taking a few steps back, she proceeded to leave the room - flung the door open and bolted out. He called after her, however she ignored him so he trailed after her, limping. She had already left the shack, heading deeper and deeper into the fields, as though possessed.
It was then he saw the tall, dark shadow in the midst of the fields, waiting for her. Momentarily stunned, he breathed out, "...Urizen?"
Notes:
1. Hag had been physically imprisoned in the tree that was growing out of her own home for a few years and her corporeal form banished to a mirror dimension. The demon that had imprisoned her was Aramis, a red Lily of the Valley that bloomed in an ancient battlefield near Hag's shack. The flower, originally a beautiful shade of white, was stained red from the blood of fallen solders and had become corrupted. It's lifespan was extended a great deal and after absorbing blood for countless of years, it had developed a demonic nature and thirst for human blood. After imprisoning Hag in the tree, Aramis gained control of Circe, who was more than capable of destroying Aramis in a single bite (literally). The bell prevented Circe from going anywhere near the shack, thus banishing her to the woods. With the bell destroyed, Circe left no time in returning to devour the flower demon.
2. V is forbidden from telling Lucy his real identity.
3. Lucy finally engaged in proper conversation with V, but I found myself wondering what she would really want to know/say to him and I had a hundred things running through my mind. First things first, I expected her to suspect he has some sort of connection to Vergil. Considering Dante didn't recognize or suspect V to be Vergil at all, I didn't think Lucy would as well haha. I also expected her to be jaded about Vergil now. She's also prone to some self-wallowing.