I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters.
Admission
Marcus stirred slowly, mind fighting to remain asleep, to continue enjoying that blissful feeling of denying that the world existed. He wanted to stay exactly where he was. He wanted to just lay on that tiny island in the middle of a demon-infested lake somewhere in the Demon World, wrapped up in Kat's sweatshirt and holding her in his arms forever. He wanted nothing more than to forget the world, and just live in those moments when he could inhale and smell nothing but her from all around him, feeling her arms wrapped around under his shoulders, her face nuzzled into the side of his neck, her breaths slow and even.
But he couldn't. The peace of unconsciousness began to slip away. The pains of hunger and dehydration and cold began to filter back in. He could feel the frostbite in his feet. The nerve damage already present there that he wouldn't be surprised if his father's necklace couldn't touch it. He knew that Kat, even if she was already dead, probably was fairing even worse than him. He needed to get her someplace warm where they could rest without needing to huddle inside of her sweatshirt for the sole purpose of surviving. Where they could test his necklace's effectiveness against frostbite. He sighed, gently and carefully slipping out of Kat's sweatshirt, having long ago decided that no one would ever find out they had used it in place of a sleeping bag. If anyone asked, they fought their way through a constant horde. There was no cuddling, or freezing to death, or nearly drowning in a lake because he was too afraid to fight a handful of devils. Just one long slaughter fest all the way to the portal. He gently lifted her into a sitting position, pulling her vest onto her and zipping it closed then putting both his sword and Red Queen across his back before standing. He looked out at the lake, turning in the direction they needed to head, then transformed Pandora into a gauntlet, designed to freeze water.
He knelt, setting the gauntlet on the surface of the water, ice shooting out from it, the lake freezing with a long string of snaps and pops that grew louder as the ice extended outward. Then, it was over and Pandora returned to its bracelet form as he picked up Kat, who shifted and mumbled something in her sleep. Once she was settled, he started out, sprinting across the top of the ice, eyes scanning for anything unpleasant. Nothing came, so he continued running. Then, finally, he reached a tunnel away from the lake, a warm breeze blowing out of it. Kat sighed as the breeze reached them and he started up the tunnel, reaching a ruin quickly. The ruin was a massive city with a huge tower in the center, something that Kat had called Temen-ni-gru last time. the tower was in shambles, but he still remembered Kat warning him against going near it. He wasn't really sure why she had bothered, since he had never left her side as a child when she was saving him, but then, he didn't know why she taught him so much about the Demon World either, like what demons should be where. For example, this area would have living statues, living puppets, and a small army of living cages in the shapes of tall humanoids with swords.
Marcus ducked into the first relatively intact building he could find, transforming his sword into a pair of three-bladed shuriken just as two puppets and a walking cage stepped out of the shadows. he hurled the shuriken, the blades blasting through the puppets before curving around and both shredding through the cage which crashed to the ground, Kat jumping and snapping awake at the sound, Marcus catching his blades.
"Sorry," Marcus said. "I meant to keep that quiet."
Kat looked around in surprise then up at him as he turned the shuriken back into his sword and set it and Red Queen aside.
"May I see the necklace?" he asked.
She nodded, taking it off and handing it to him before gasping as she spotted his feet, both a dark purple and the tips of his toes having started toward grey.
"Don't worry," he said, putting on the necklace and grimacing as the color retreated, his feet turning an angry red before the color faded back to normal. "I'm fine now. And no more cold naps."
She smiled, nodding and he cut his palm, wiping it on the necklace before slipping it over her head, the gem glowing slightly as she gasped and held her feet, gritting her teeth.
"I thought so," he said. "It'll be over in a second."
For the second time, his blood was absorbed into the necklace and Kat healed. Then, it was over and the necklace's light faded.
"Thank you," she smiled, looking around. "We're in the city right?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Just got here."
She nodded and stood, Marcus picking up his swords and putting his on his back.
"The portal shouldn't bee too far," Kat said. "Just up the stairs on the far side."
"Right," Marcus nodded. "But that said, we still have to make it through the city first."
Kat nodded and Marcus handed her Pandora.
"I might need some backup this time," Marcus smiled and she returned it, nodding.
Then, Marcus turned, silently walking out of the building with Kat behind him, briefcase in hand. They made their way silently through the street, but once again everything seemed eerily quiet and devoid of devils. Marcus glanced at Kat, who nodded, agreeing with his assessment. Probably another trap. Still they made their way onward. A walking cage burst out of the wall beside Marcus but he split it in half instantly, then stopped, waiting and looking around. nothing. He looked to Kat, seeing her holding a bow with a string and arrow made out of raw energy. He grinned. It seemed somehow fitting. He turned, continuing down the street with Kat just behind him, eyes scanning, Devil Bringer ready. A small armor of devils, and yet they had seen only four. Finally Marcus stopped, Kat stopping beside him.
"There's a courtyard up ahead," Marcus said. "Perfect ambush point."
"Is there another way?" Kat asked.
Marcus picked up a stone and hurled it over a building only for a red barrier to flare up, blasting the stone into rubble instantly.
"No," Marcus said. "We're definitely being funneled. Kat, when this fight starts, I want you to take cover. I'll keep their attention, but I want you to stay hidden."
"What if they have any ranged fighters?" Kat asked.
"Let me handle it," Marcus said. "I can handle this. But only if I know you're safe."
Kat nodded and Marcus took a breathe before striding into the courtyard, Kat remaining just inside, eyes scanning. Marcus stopped in the center, looking around.
"Well?" he called. "What are you scared? Come on out! Let's get this over with already!"
Silence. Marcus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. They should be neck deep in devils. They should have been for most of their trip, even in the tunnel. Something had to be very wrong for there to be none. He motioned for Kat to join him and she jogged over, slowing to a stop at his side. He looked around one last time before walking toward the street leading out on the far side, Kat just behind him. They followed the street quietly, Marcus's nerves now officially fried.
"Something's horribly wrong here," Marcus said. "We should be swimming in devils, so where the hell are they?"
"I don't know," Kat said. "But, maybe this is a blessing. We may be able to get to the portal without any more fighting."
"I hope so," Marcus grumbled.
They continued through the street in silence. Marcus didn't like it. He found he actually wanted to fight, just to get it over with and stop having to wait. After what had to be three hours with not a single devil attacking, Marcus finally ducked into a building, sitting down with his pistols in his lap and glaring at the door. Kat sat beside him, giving him a worried look.
"It's probably my devil blood, either being this close to Temen-ni-gru, or the lack of any sort of violence, or both," Marcus said.
"That's fair," Kat nodded. "You need to relax. If not you'll kill yourself from anxiety before we find any devils."
Marcus sighed, taking a breath and leaning back against the wall, closing his eyes. He began to fidget almost instantly, thumbs rubbing the sides of his guns and trigger fingers tracing the trigger guard. After a moment, Kat leaned on his shoulder, pulling his arms around her, his pistols remaining on the ground beside him.
"Tell me about the world outside," Kat said. "I've been here so long, I'm sure everything's changed."
"Probably," Marcus nodded. "Well, tell me about the world when you...left."
"Awful," Kat said. "Limbo City had just been destroyed, for starters. Humans were only jut starting to be able to see demons."
"Jeez, that was about sixty years ago," Marcus mused. "Is Dante really that old now? I'd have never guessed."
"Sixty years?" Kat blinked. "I see. The world must have changed, then."
"Well, for starters, demons aren't as much a prominent threat anymore," Marcus said. "For the most part, scattered devil hunters are able to keep them in check, mostly. However, sometimes things happen that cause massive demon problems, like the summoning circles bullshit that landed me here this time. Let's see...Well, Dante's old. Him and his friends run a business called Devil May Cry that hunts devils all over. My mom and dad are from the Fortuna branch. There's also some chick named Lucia in a different country. At least, I think that's what Dante said."
"I see," Kat nodded, smiling. "I'm glad Dante did something productive. When I left, I was afraid he'd fall back into his depression and lose faith in the world."
"He seems pretty happy to me," Marcus said. "He's always hitting on Lady and Trish. And I'm pretty sure him and Trish are secretly together, or at least, close to it."
Kat nodded slowly and Marcus felt his stomach rumble.
"God I'm hungry," Marcus sighed. "I could really go for some pizza."
Kat covered her mouth, giggling.
"What?" Marcus asked.
"You remind me of Dante," Kat smiled. "He used to be obsessed with pizza."
"Still is," Marcus snorted. "I'm pretty sure it's all he eats. Pepperoni, sausage, salami, and green peppers, every time."
"Really?" Kat blinked. "He used to hate green peppers. He'd call me weird any time I ordered it."
"Huh," Marcus shrugged. "Loves it now. Throws a temper tantrum if there aren't any on it."
Kat smiled and shook her head.
"Yeah, I can imagine," Kat smiled. "You kind of remind me of Vergil too."
"How?" Marcus asked. "I'm nothing like that mother fucker. I don't murder family. I don't work for demons, kill innocent people, or enjoy seeing people in pain."
"He wasn't always like that," Kat said, face sad. "Actually, he used to be a great man. He was caring, and brave. He would give anything to protect the people around him. But he was overconfident, and trusted his own abilities too much. He thought too highly of himself."
"What happened to change him?" Marcus asked.
"Honestly?" Kat asked. "He was protecting me. He saved my life when I was young, and then took me in, teaching me about demons and the Demon World. Eventually, we started to be...attracted, to each other, I suppose. But before anything could come of it, he erased our memories of the attraction, blocking it. As an unintended side effect, he began to look down on humanity, seeing them as worthless, and seeing me as nothing more than a tool. In the end, he intended to rule over Humanity alongside Dante, but Dante was different. Dante truly loved humanity. While Vergil aligned with his devil side, Dante aligned with his human side. So they fought. And Dante won. Vergil was banished to Hell where he let his humanity go in exchange for power. Then, he returned and killed me as revenge on Dante. I would assume that Dante beat him, but he must have gained a new strength since then. Truthfully, you're stronger than Dante was when I died, so if he could beat you, he would have had to have grown much stronger."
"Dante said something about Vergil working for a demon named Mundus at one time," Marcus said.
"The King of the Demon World," Kat nodded. "That would make sense."
Marcus nodded as Kat sighed.
"You really are so much like them," Kat said. "Both of them. But you're different too. Neither of them is cautious, and neither truly respects the fact that they could lose. Dante is too cocky, and Vergil too overconfident. You're not. You know you have limits, and you don't push them. That's both good and bad. If you don't push them you can't get stronger, but if you do you are less likely to die. And unlike both, you don't want to be a devil hunter. You just want to be human. You've only ever wanted to be human."
"How do you know that?" Marcus blinked.
"You were talking in your sleep the first night," Kat said. "You said you didn't want your arm, or your devil blood. And you said something about always being the freak."
"Yeah," Marcus sighed. "That was probably about being alone."
"Alone?" Kat asked. "I take it you didn't inherit Dante's playboy nature?"
"No," Marcus said.
"The girls don't like you?" Kat asked.
"Actually, they do," Marcus said. "I could ask out just about any girl in any college and get a date. The problem only arises when they find out about my arm or if a demon attacks. Then I'm instantly a freak."
"You're not a freak," Kat said, taking his Devil Bringer in her hands. "You're not. You're special. You have an amazing gift."
"I never wanted it," Marcus said.
"And I never wanted to be here," Kat said. "But because of it I was able to save your life twice. And I was able to see the man you grew into after I raised you for six years."
"You're not going to tell me I'm like a son to you are you?" Marcus asked.
Kat laughed, shaking her head.
"No no, nothing like that," Kat smiled.
"Good," Marcus smiled. "I already have a mother. And I wasn't exactly the best son. What about you? What were your parents like?"
Kat's face fell and she stared at the ground.
"My father died when I was still young," Kat said. "I can't remember him. My mother remarried but it turned out he was a devil. He killed her then once she was gone he would...attack me...at night."
"Oh my god," Marcus breathed, covering his mouth. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"It's alright," Kat smiled. "It was a long time ago. And anyway, that was what Vergil saved me from. He taught me to escape, then later taught me what I needed to know to kill my stepfather."
"I see," Marcus sighed. "I kind of wish there were some of the old him left then. I would like to meet that version of him."
Kat nodded.
"So, what's the first thing you're going to do when we get back?" Marcus asked.
Kat looked up at him surprised before staring at the ground in silence.
"Oh come on, there's gotta be something," Marcus said.
"I...I think I want ice cream," Kat said.
"Ice cream huh?" Marcus grinned. "Ice cream sounds pretty good right about now. Tell you what, how about when we get out of here, I buy us both some?"
Kat stared at him in shock before smiling and nodding. He smiled and nodded.
"Good," Marcus smiled as a tear slid down Kat's cheek and he wiped it away. "Now, tell me why it is that you've been crying yourself to sleep every night."
Kat's eyes widened before more tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"You can't go through the portal can you?" Marcus asked.
"No," Kat said, shaking her head. "My spells only work on those with devil blood. That's why I had to leave you alone when you left the Demon World."
"There has to be a way," Marcus said. "Maybe if you're wearing the necklace-"
"It won't work," Kat said. "The necklace only responds to devil blood. On me it's just a necklace unless you bleed on it."
"So what then?" Marcus asked. "I'm just supposed to forget about you and leave you here, again?"
"Yes," Kat nodded. "You belong in the Human World. I belong here. I'm dead. You're not."
"I don't care, Kat," Marcus said. "I'm not leaving you behind again. We'll find a way."
"There is no other way!" Kat sobbed. "I've tried everything! Believe me, I have! I've tried everything. I can never leave this place."
"Kat," Marcus said, cupping her cheek and making her look up at him. "I'm going to get you out of here. I promise. I'm not leaving you."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Kat sighed, taking his hand and holding it in her lap. "There is no portal out of here that can accept someone without devil blood."
"We'll find one," Marcus promised.
"How do you know?" Kat asked.
"Because I won't leave until we do," Marcus smiled.
"Why?" Kat asked. "Why are you so desperate to save me?"
"You've saved me more times than I can count," Marcus smiled, his free hand reaching up to brush her tears away.
Then, he leaned forward slowly, giving her more than enough time to pull away if she wanted. Finally, his lips met hers and she sighed, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer as she kissed him back. His arms wrapped around her back and they remained like that for a long while. Finally, Kat pulled away, fresh tears spilling down her face.
"I'm sorry, Marcus," Kat said. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Done what, kissed me?" Marcus asked. "I kissed you first."
"But I should have stopped you," Kat said. "It's just going to make it harder when I have to-"
"You're not staying behind, Kat," Marcus interrupted. "We'll figure something out."
Kat stared at him before shaking her head slowly and staring at the ground. He opened his mouth to speak just as a massive roar rang out, soon joined by hundreds more. Marcus was on his feet with his weapons instantly, Kat joining him a second later.
"Looks like it's finally starting."
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