Vergil lay naked and bleeding on a cold hard surface. His bones broken, blood smeared over his skin from the severe wounds marring his abdomen. The crimson liquid trickled from a broken nose. A clawed hand raked down his thigh as yet another demon lord spread his legs to have there way with him. Seemed everyone had a taste for vengeance, especially against someone of Sparda descent.

The black rectangular device flashed red at the corner of his temple. He lay conscious, aware of everything that was happening. Feeling every ounce of excruciating pain that rained down upon him. Yet he was powerless to do anything. He could not move to fend off his attackers; he could not scream his protest. All he could do was lay there, watching in horror, enduring the merciless rape and torture that befell him.

'This is my penance for all the horrible acts I have committed in my life. For all the pain I have caused others.' He thought.

The only response he was able to give were the tears that ran endlessly from his beautiful cerulean blue eyes. He screamed on the inside. Begging and pleading to his captors to make it stop. Unable to utter a single sound, he lay there quietly as his body took the unspeakable from his tormentors.

Lady watched as Dante tried to bring his twin around. "Dante, what can we do?"

"I don't know. He's never done this before." He said helplessly. Dante stroked Vergil's hair while calling out to him, telling him he was safe and that he would protect him.

Suddenly Vergil arched his back and let out a blood-curdling scream. His eyes shot open, but didn't focus. He continued screaming in absolute agony while Dante cradled him in his arms. Tears streamed down the youngers face. Lady sat beside him holding the elders hand, crying silent tears.

Dante tried using his connection with his twin to rouse him from his terror. 'Vergil its not real. Come back to me. I'm here brother. No one can hurt you. You're safe, I promise. Just come back to me Verge.' Dante could feel his brother trying to reach out to him, but it was very faint.

'D-Dante. Help me…so much pain brother. So much…'

'Let it go Verge. Lady and I are here waiting for you. It's not real. Can you feel me? I'm right here with you.'

Slowly the elder began to calm down and relaxed into Dante's arms. "That's right, just breathe with me." Vergil blinked a few times before finally focusing on Dante.

"Sorry", it was a hoarse whisper.

"For what?"

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Vergil's eyes were still full of pain.

"S'ok. It happens, I guess. Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Not convincing at all bro." Dante let a sad little smirk play across his face.

" Dante maybe we should get him to the couch." They had forgotten about Lady even though she still held onto Vergil's hand. Once they got him to the couch, Lady went to get him a drink.

"What happened? And don't tell me it was nothing Verge." Dante wanted answers and he wasn't going to avoid the questions. So Vergil proceeded to tell him all the suffering the device had caused him. He censored a bit when Lady rejoined them. Dante then went on a 15 minute rant on how he was going to kill every sorry ass demon who had ever laid a hand on him.

"Dante, shush!" Lady said quietly. Vergil had fallen asleep, no doubt from metal exhaustion. His head resting on Lady's shoulder. One corner of Dante's mouth lifted, followed by the other one.

"Aw, I should get my camera." he chuckled.

"Laugh it up dipshit, just help me get him upstairs." she scowled. She didn't quite know how to feel with Vergil using her as a pillow. She valued her personal space.

"I don't know Lady, he looks pretty comfortable. Whoa, okay-okay! I'll get him, just put the gun away."

Lady holstered her gun. "Thank you." she said sweetly.

Dante hoisted Vergil over his shoulder and proceeded upstairs after Lady. She cleared a place off the bed. Dante laid him down gently and removed his shoes. Lady coved him up while Dante went into the adjoining bathroom.

She sat on the edge of the bed and studied Vergil. So much like Dante, yet so different. His features were softer when he slept, however, still held a pained expression from his earlier episode. Some of his hair had fallen down across his forehead. Lady reached up, after checking to see if Dante was there, and brushed it back into place.

"Hmm." she was amazed at how soft his hair felt.

"Hmm, what?" Dante asked, making her jump. He was leaning on the door frame in the bathroom.

Clearly caught in the act of playing with the elders hair, which he would never allow had he been conscious, Lady blushed. "Well, it always looked so stiff." she reddened further when she saw the smirk spread across Dante's face, realizing how it sounded. "Dante, if you say 'that's what she said', I will shoot you where you stand." He held his hands up in mock surrender and walked over to the bed. In one of his hands he held a damp washcloth. "He feels a little warm."

"Yeah, I know." He said placing the rag on Vergil's forehead and they both exited the room.

After convincing Lady that they would be alright, she left and Dante was allowed a moment to himself. He ran his hand over his face, sighing. Grabbing a beer from the frig, he sat down at the bottom of the stairs and contemplated the days events. What a roller coaster. He needed to find a way to make sure that, that douche bag demon who held Vergil captive, didn't take him back again. After today it was clear that his flunkies were looking for him. It would only be a matter of time before they showed up on his doorstep.

'Fuck 'em'. He thought bitterly. 'I'll kill them all if they even try it.' He took a long swig of his beer. He scowled down at the bottle in his hand trying to come up with a plan to better protect his twin.

"That look does not suit you brother." Vergil said softly as he sat down next to him.

The younger was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear Vergil come down the stairs. "Why are you up? You look tired." He said as he reached over and brushed his brothers hair back into place.

Vergil shrugged, but he knew why. He was afraid of the nightmares coming back. He was petrified of having that device rendering him helpless again. The total lack of control. The inability to defend himself was twice as bad as the torture itself.

He also didn't want to wake up and not see his twin sleeping beside him, however, he couldn't tell Dante that.

Sensing that the elder really was feigning sleep, he decided that he could use some himself. Plus, he figured if he was well rested he'd be able to come up with a better plan besides, 'kill them all'. "Well, how about we close up shop, have a snack and go to bed. I'm beat." Dante yawned. Vergil nodded.

After settling down in the bed Dante curled himself protectively around his twin. He reflected on how the roles use to be reversed. Vergil had been the one fighting the monsters under the bed Dante was so sure were always there. Now he was fighting Vergil's demons that were all to real. He sighed into his twins hair.

"You are worried." It was more of a statement than a question.

"What makes you say that?" Dante said distractedly.

"You've been sighing for the last five minutes and you're twirling my hair." Vergil said matter-of-factly.

The younger stilled his hand in Vergil's locks. "Oh. Guess I am." He said quietly.

A long moment of silence passed between them. "I am tired of this brother." the elder said as he sat up.

"Tired of what?" Dante asked. There was more silence. He sat up and put his arm around Vergil. "Tired of what Verge?"

His brows knitted together and he let out a long suffering sigh. "I am tired of feeling like this!" He yelled as he jumped up. "Like some weak, pathetic, shadow of a man waiting for the day when I will stop being afraid!" He was so angry that Dante could see him visibly shaking. He walked around the room with his hands in his hair, looking completely lost. "I can't take it! I cannot control my fear. It eats me up inside Dante." He let out what he thought he was hiding from his twin. "I sit in the corner of the bathroom like some beaten dog, crying and panicking at just the mere thought of possibly being dragged back down into that hell. I want it to end brother."

He turned to his little brother, who was not so little anymore. Gazing at him with tired, sad eyes. "I want us to be like we used to be. I feel like I'm holding you back with this constant nagging fear of mine." He huffed out his rant.

'You're not bringing-" The younger started, before the elder turned on him.

"Yes, I am Dante! Your constant worrying over me is affecting you too. You think I didn't see or 'hear' you on the stairs earlier? You let Lady do most of your jobs because you are reluctant to leave me alone. I am affecting your livelihood. Not to mention, I lean on you too heavily for the emotional stability that I will never achieve." Furious sadness swept over Vergil's face. His shoulders slumped. "Dante, you should never have come for me. You would have been better off."

Dante stood up from the bed, pointing his finger directly at his brother. "No! No, don't you even go there! Three years Vergil. Three fucking years I thought you were dead. I cried every damn night and drank myself into a stooper because I thought you were gone. I died a little inside and you think I'm better off without you? You stubborn self-righteous ass. You think you're scared? I'm terrified that I will loose you again!" Dante's expression softens as he comes to stand in front of his twin. "I know you cry Verge. I sit outside the door until you calm down enough so that I know you wont try to off yourself. We are going to get through this. It will take time, but we can do it. I wish you had more faith in yourself…and in me." He reached up and stroked the elders cheek, who leaned into his touch. "I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. Come hell or high water, we will get you back to being the pompous ass that you are. No more talk about me being better off without you, ok?"

He lifted his brothers chin to make him look him in the eye. Otherwise, I'm gonna kick your ass." He said with a small smirk. The elder relented, knowing it would be pointless to argue with his headstrong little brother. He sighed and simply nodded his compliance.