I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, plots, character, locations, etc. thereof.
Another day, another chapter. Thank you to all who read and to all those who reviewed. Much obliged. I think I am figuring out the hits and visitors, so I know people are reading, so again thanks.
Please enjoy. RR. I like to read what you think and if there are any improvements to be made.
Thanks, ya'll.
"Vergil, what are we doing here?" Evangeline asked as she threw the last of the clothes into the dresser. Vergil had found them an apartment to live in a few days after arriving in the city. They had spent their few homeless days camped out in the car or a dingy hotel. Evangeline had refused to stay with Dante.
"I'm going to hunt devils with my brother."
"What are you trying to find? Do you really think you can just act like nothing happened and be a happy family?" she asked, plopping herself on the bed.
He looked over his shoulder at her, adjusting Yamato's position on top of the dresser.
"I don't know," he said.
"It's not like its going to peaches and cream from now on. They will always remember," she said, a look of concern over her face.
His anger slowly started to grow as her questions tugged at his own uncertainties.
"What do want me to do? Should I just disappear and ignore my twin. I'm trying not to go back to the way I was because it led me straight to hell, literally."
He slammed the palms of his hands down on the dresser, leaning against them as he stared at himself in the mirror. It still struck him how much his face had changed. Even after going back to a normal weight it still looked thin.
"I get trying to change your life, I really do. It just seems strange, so I think something bad is going to happen."
"Did you have a dream about that too," he snapped. She glared at him from her place on the bed.
"I'm not the one being overemotional and irrational. Judging through my experiences with you, you're not very good at managing relationships."
"You're still around," he said. She crossed her arms; her green eyes seemed to be blazing in their sockets. A part of him enjoyed making her angry so he could see her eyes full of that intensity.
"Yeah, sometimes I wonder why. I don't even know what "we" are," she said, crossed her arms, and leaned back against the headboard.
"You are a former drug-addict, chain-smoker, with demon eyes and a bad attitude, and I am a half-demon, swordsman," he said. She gave him a withering look.
"Hmm, humor. I didn't think you had it in you."
He smirked.
"It doesn't matter what you call us. We are what we are," he replied.
"That's what most people who are afraid of commitment would say."
He walked into the adjoining bathroom a smile starting to form on his face from the banter. Vergil closed the door behind him, and switched the shower faucet on.
Evangeline sighed and sprawled herself across the bed. On the nightstand beside her was the book of spells Vergil had given to her. She grabbed it and began flipping through the pages until she came across a spell for locating people or things. On the page was a large circle filled with symbols she did not understand. The book gave instructions on clearing one's mind and seeing the world within your inner eye. A bunch of bullshit, she thought and slammed the book shut. She covered her face with her hands.
"What am I doing? I'm not some demon hunter. I can't even do a pushup," she mumbled.
The shower turned off and she could here Vergil shuffling in the bathroom. She smiled, realizing she was there for him. Vergil walked out of the shower wearing only a pair of thin pants. His hair was flat and stuck his head with water. She watched his well-formed muscles move under his skin as he searched for something in the drawers.
"You should walk around with your shirt off more often."
He only raised an eyebrow and walked over to the bed. Eying the book in front of her, he picked it up.
"Have you managed to learn anything yet?"
"Not a thing."
Frowning, he tossed the book back onto the nightstand. He climbed into the bed next to her.
"This is difficult for you," he said.
"I just don't know what I'm doing and I can't help you with anything"
He reached over and brushed a finger against the scars on her shoulder.
"You have your talents. You are…resilient and cunning."
She laughed. "Usually, you want compliments like sweet, kind, pretty, smart. Like Lady and Trish. I'm nothing like them."
"I think you are far stronger than they will ever be. You're certainly not sweet, but that's not a virtue. I enjoy your bluntness."
She snorted.
"And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
Her green eyes flickered to his face; a mix of disbelief, mocking, and pleasure in her raised eyebrow.
"You've never said that before."
"I didn't think I had to."
He leaned in close and kissed her; his hand placed behind her head, pulling her closer.
"It's weird when you're affectionate."
He said nothing and kissed her again. His body felt relaxed as he lay next to her, breathing in the scent of her skin, shampoo, and cigarettes. They settled next to one another, and she leaned a head against his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. He closed his eyes and smiled slightly, content with their comfortable silence.
"We're going over to Dante's tomorrow."
"Shit. Do we have to?"
######
"So tell me about this again," Dante said, chewing over a large bite of pizza.
"He said except for one of them that looked human, they all just disappeared into dust for no reason. They all seem to come from the same place but that place keeps changing. Usually, they just show up around other demons and attack them," Lady explained.
"And the problem is what, exactly?" Dante said and took another bite.
She narrowed her mismatched eyes at him. "Because they attack everything."
"Fine," Dante said. "I'll do whatever you say. I'm just going to wait for Verg."
Lady wrinkled her nose at this and sat on the desk. She couldn't escape the image of Vergil in temen-ni-gru trying to open the gate to hell. Or the image of him attacking her and Dante. Though she distrusted him, she couldn't deny Dante the opportunity to be with his brother that he so earnestly wanted. However, the thought of Evangeline made her want to wring the redhead's skinny neck.
As she was thinking this, the door to the shop opened and Virgil entered with Evangeline tucked away behind him. Lady watched, thinking that she stared out from behind her human shield like a coward. She was simply dressed in slightly baggy dark jeans, a green t-shirt with a jacket thrown over. Lady had to stop herself from criticizing her dress, realizing that it would just be pettiness.
Trish came out from the back when she heard the door open.
Dante uncrossed his legs from the desk and stood up. He grabbed force edge off the wall and swung it in mock fighting before placing it on his back.
"About time you got here. We've got some demons to kill."
"He said the last place he saw a large group of them was down by the docks. I think we should start there and see what we find," Trish said. She grabbed a gun hanging on the wall and holstered it on her hip.
Vergil crossed his arms and stared at the group as they discussed their plans.
"What are we supposed to do about her?" Trish suddenly asked. They all stared at Evangeline. Dante eyed her suspiciously. He noticed her fingers lightly brushing the edge of Vergil's coat as she leaned in close to him. A pang of envy went through his heart.
"Can you fight?" Trish asked.
Evangeline looked up, realizing she was the topic of conversation.
"No, actually. But I'm pretty good at hiding."
"She can stay here and watch the phone," Dante said. Lady whipped her head around.
"Are you kidding? You do remember what happened last time she was here."
"She's not going to," Dante said, lowering his gaze at Evangeline.
"I'll just stay here and learn how to be useful," she said, raising the book of spells.
The three glanced at each other then began walking towards the door. Vergil uncrossed his arms and turned to her.
"Be careful. If someone comes to the door, don't do anything. Run if you see anything that might be dangerous."
"Then I would be running from you constantly," she said with a grin. He smiled and followed the others out the door. Evangeline heaved a sigh and looked around the large, empty room. She clucked her tongue and walked over to the couch. Plopping herself down she opened the book and flipped back to the page describing locating people and items. Concentrate. It is necessary to become one with your surrounding and the universe. She sighed and placed the open book over her face.
######
Vergil disappeared into the darkness and separated himself from Dante, Trish, and Lady. Large metal boxes ten feet high full of goods ready for shipping were stacked five high in the boat yard. Large buildings were left dark and abandoned by the employees heading home for the night. Different types of mechanical equipment lay scattered throughout the maze of buildings and storage containers while boats attached to the dock silently stood guard. The water lapped against the dock, filling the background with soft noise.
It seemed to him like a stereotypical place for demons to hide. He kept his hand on Yamato's hilt and crept along the edges of the storage containers, listening to any noise. As he came to a clearing in the forest of containers, he heard a grunt. His body began to tingle with anticipation as he felt their presence. A surge of power went through him as he envisioned the upcoming battle. At those times, he let his demonic impulses take over as he slipped silently into the passenger seat of his own body.
He stepped out from behind a container.
A group six of demons stood huddled together. They were not much taller than Vergil, but with broad shoulders ending in clawed hands and large mouths filled with teeth. In the middle stood a smaller one, more human in his shape with large protruding spikes from his head. He was the one that spotted Vergil and he drew his sword from his sheath.
"Die," Vergil said, swinging Yamato from its place. Two of the larger demons went down, split in half before they could even move. In a flash, he was on top of another as two went rushing for him. He stabbed straight down, the blood gushing from the top of the demon's head like a fountain. Vergil leapt down from the dying demon, and rushed at the remaining two, bringing his sword up as he passed them.
As they bled out from their wounds, he dodged to the left to avoid the sword of the humanoid demon. He brought Yamato up then down, removing the arm of the sword-bearing demon. He screamed and crumpled to the ground. Vergil brought the tip of Yamato even with his face.
"I need information," he said. The demon looked around at his slaughtered companions, black eyes wide with fear.
"About what?"
"What are you doing here?"
The demon said nothing. Vergil lifted his chin with the point of his sword.
"I will kill you, and I will make it painful."
"We were hiding and waiting for more of my master's demons to come."
"Are you planning a take over?"
"No, we're being attacked. My master isn't strong enough to take over the human realm, so we just work with criminals. But there are things after us. I was sent to destroy them."
"What are they?"
"I don't know. They're demons, but different. We don't know where they're coming from or what they're doing. We were just told not to let them grab you."
"Why?"
"You get infected," he said.
There was a shuffle in the shadow of a metal container. Vergil looked in the direction out of the corner of his eye.
"Dante, I have a hostage," he said. They moved from the shadow; a giant mass of a demon covered in red and black sores.
The demon at Yamato's point hissed and Vergil swung Yamato to his side. The demon rushed to his feet as fast as he could with one arm and ran off into the maze of the dock. Vergil heard a scream.
"Hey, Verg. You let one go…holy shit," Dante said from behind him.
Vergil felt his devil form take over and from the distance, he slashed forward with Yamato, sending out a blade of energy that cut through the demon. It fell into a fine black dust. He thought back to the demon in hell he had seen overtaken by an infected companion. Vergil stepped back from the dust that was drifting his way.
"Don't let them touch you," he said to Dante. Trish and Lady entered the clearing, their eyes wandering to the drifting pile.
#######
Evangeline stared a small mirror in her hand, gazing at her demonic eyes. The brown essence shifted, growing darker and lighter as she stared. She was splayed out on her back on the floor of the shop, trying to clear her mind.
"I am one with the universe," she said. "I am one with the universe."
Nothing happened. She let her hand holding the mirror drop to the floor.
"I am one with boredom."
She closed her eyes and watched the tiny red dots float around behind her eyelids. They would appear then disappear, forming shapes that never lasted. Her mind wandered to Vergil and she could see him peering out of the dark of his cell, body covered in wounds. She felt herself shudder as she remembered the feel of the whip on her back. He fought for her, killing the demon in his darkened cell on impulse. He's probably killing demons now, she thought. His sword flying in the night, cutting down all in his path. Then she thought of her brother. She could hardly remember what he looked like without the sores covering his body. Not even the color of his eyes or hair.
Her eyes began to burn.
She was standing amongst metal containers. Vergil stood with his sword pointed at a demon crumpled on the ground. Another stumbled out, covered in red and black sores. As the infected demon moved, she saw a young man standing behind it, covered in the same affliction.
Evangeline opened her eyes and rubbed them. She heard the door open and shut. Through tears she looked up, seeing nothing.
"Hello?"
She sat up and glanced around the room. From behind her, the drum's cymbals let out a soft ting, as if someone had brushed against them. Panicked, she looked desperately around for the source. She leapt to her feet and ran to the nearest sharp object, a thin knife hanging on the wall. Her knuckles began to hurt with how tightly she gripped it.
Footsteps quickly ran up the stairs and the door opened and slammed shut. Her eyes widened at what she didn't see, but heard. She backed up until her back was against the wall, waiting for something to attack. Her blood pounded in her ears and her eyes burned to the point she wanted to scratch them out.
Outside the window of the front door, she saw a shadow move. Slowly, she edged her way over to the small space created by the couch and jukebox under the stairs. She lowered herself into the small hiding space, the knife held out in front of her with both hands.
Next to the door, the outline of a shadow appeared. She pressed herself further into the corner, and prayed that it hadn't seen her. She opened her eyes again, and felt as if she would vomit.
Her brother knelt in front of her, silent. The sores nearly covered all of his body to the point he no longer seemed human. He did not move, but just stared with unblinking eyes. Her whole body began to tremble out of fear and anger.
"Go away," she ordered through gritted teeth. He just pointed to the door. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared back.
#######
"I have never seen or heard of anything like that," Trish said.
"Are they sick?" Lady asked, kicking a stone that was in her path.
"More like zombified," Dante said.
"I've seen it before," Vergil said from behind them. They stopped, only a few feet from the shop.
"When I was in hell, I saw one attack another demon. I don't know where they came from," he said. Anger at the unknown foe passed through him.
Trish looked at Vergil. "We need to find someone who knows something. I'll start investigating."
"I'll help," Vergil said.
"I'll let you two brainiacs figure it out," Dante said, stretching.
They entered the shop to find it empty.
"Evangeline," Vergil called.
"Dammit, she stole something and ran off again," Lady said. Dante started looking around. Vergil heard a staggered breath and rushed over to the couch. Evangeline was curled up in the corner trembling, her eyes closed tightly.
"Evangeline," he whispered. She opened her eyes; the demonic essence seemed to have grown and made them appear black for a moment. "What happened?"
She looked around.
"He was here. I saw him," she whispered. Vergil grabbed her arm to pull her from the corner and she grabbed him around the neck and didn't let go. He led her out of her hiding space and gently, but firmly, pulled her arms away from him. Vergil looked into her eyes; the demonic essence had receded until it was only a murky brown in the whites of her eyes.
"He's wasn't there. He's dead."
"Don't treat me like I'm crazy. I know I saw him. He was covered in sores and staring at me," she said.
"Saw who?" Dante said. He looked around the room for anyone who might be hiding. Lady went up stairs with her gun drawn.
"My brother," she said.
"He's dead. She's just seeing things."
Evangeline glared daggers at him.
"She said that she saw him covered in sores. Like that one thing we saw today," Dante said, approaching them.
"You saw something?" Evangeline asked. Vergil nodded. "So I was right. There's something happening."
"Yes, it seems like you are seeing something," he said reluctantly. "But it has nothing to do with your brother."
"Why do you keep telling me that?" she snapped.
"Because I don't need you to become an emotional wreck by thinking he is somehow a part of all this," he said, grabbing her shoulders. She blinked, unsure how to interpret his comment.
"I don't think he is a part of any of this," Trish said quietly, picking up the book from the floor. "Your eyes are purely demonic, so you can see things. Like how you knew I was a demon."
"Vergil and Dante are demons. They don't see anything," Evangeline replied.
"True, but they are half-demons completely. There isn't a part of them that is more demonic than another. You on the other hand, have a demon's eyes like they were implanted. However, you don't have the mind of a demon. I think your eyes are seeing something and your brain is trying to process it. In your case, it goes through the form of something familiar so it sees your brother covered in sores instead of what ever…force it is."
There was a pause.
"That's just stupid," Evangeline said.
"Stop being a pest. Do you have a better explanation?" Vergil asked.
"I'm seeing a ghost."
Trish shrugged. "When she understands more about what she is seeing the hallucinations ought to stop."
"How do you know all this? Is there some sort of manual to the demon world and if so, can I get a copy?" Evangeline said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Calm down," Vergil said.
Evangeline looked a Vergil's face. Signs of frustration were penetrating his usually stony demeanor.
"This life…I need a moment," she said and stormed out of the building, slamming the door behind her. As she hurried down the street she pulled out her cigarettes from her pocket and lit it. Glancing behind her, she saw nothing but an empty street.
A half an hour passed before she looked up and realized she didn't know were she was.
"Well that's just fucking great," she said and lit another cigarette. Holding it between two fingers, she tapped the ash off and looked around her. It was a dingy section of town filled with trash a clutter; something she was getting used to seeing and it bothered her. Her body filled with the sudden craving to let go, and she began searching for someone who had the cure.
She walked down the street and made a few turns before coming to an entrance crowded with people. They were dressed mainly in leather with silver jewelry glinting in the light above the door. As she walked by, they threw glares her way. Glancing quickly, she had decided to pass when she spotted a man standing about fifteen feet from the entrance who furtively handed out small packages to passing hands. Glancing over her shoulder, she made her way over to the man. Reaching into her pocket, she flashed a wad of cash at him. He nodded and they reached out to shake hands.
As the small packet pressed into her palm, her eyes began to burn she looked up at the door where everyone mingled and through the crowd she saw the mangled form of her brother standing next to the door. He smiled and walked in, seemingly unnoticed by the people around him.
Just then a hand ripped away the package from her fingers. Evangeline glared at the culprit, finding blue eyes staring down. Vergil tore the package open and scattered the contents into the dirt. The dealer shouted.
"What the hell, Vergil!" she exclaimed. He grabbed her arm, but she pulled her arm from his grip and walked quickly away.
"Have you been doing drugs?"
"No, thanks to you," she mumbled past the cigarette she was lighting in her mouth. "And what do you care? Are you stalking me now?"
"I was making sure you didn't get yourself into trouble," he said. In a blur of blue he was in front of her. She stopped.
"I'm stressed."
"I didn't save you so you could throw your life away," he said, monotone.
She let out a sharp laugh. "You saved me for yourself. I'm just a minion."
"Do you want to go back to what you were? Die young?" he said, grabbing her elbow as she tried to leave.
"At least I decided what was happening in my life," she shouted. "I might have been a drug addict, but I was deciding how I was going to die. My choice. Now, nothing is mine. I have no control over what is happening. I don't even know what is happening to my own body. But everyone else knows."
He snatched the cigarette from her lips and threw it to the ground.
"I don't care if you feel like you don't have control. I am going to keep you around because I have a long life to live, and you are going to be in it."
Vergil grabbed Evangeline's face between his hands. She took a deep breath.
"I'm overreacting," she said.
"Yes you are."
She grabbed his hand; it seemed so much larger than her own.
"All of this is completely insane," she laughed.
He pulled her close, resting her head against his chest. She buried her face, realizing how steady he seemed and smelling the sweet scent of his skin.
"You can do whatever you want, except killing yourself. To truthful, I don't know what I would without you. I've gotten used to you being around."
"I never knew you cared." She sniffled. "I wouldn't leave you. Even if you killed every human. It doesn't matter to me."
Her response genuinely caught him off guard and he was unable to speak though the answer pleased him. He kissed the top of her head and they pulled apart. "You need to tell us everything you know about what is infecting the demons."
"All I know are stories," she said. She looked back in the direction of the crowded entrance. A dark figure stood next to it, staring.
"Something wrong?" Vergil asked.
"No, nothing," she lied. Vergil's heart suddenly felt calmer; it made it uncomfortable when she was upset, partially because he was ignorant as to how to stop her.
"So you don't think I'm seeing my brother?" she asked, looking to him.
"You're seeing things," he said, and walked in the opposite direction of the crowd of people, heading back to the shop. Unbeknownst to him, she had made a silent promise to return. In his ignorance, he felt content as she fell into step behind him.
#########
Lady, Trish, Dante, and Vergil were gathered around her on the couch. Evangeline stared up at them. Vergil thought she looked pitifully small amongst them.
"That's all you know," Dante said.
"Yes. It's just a place of pure suffering and pain. It just exists and like all suffering, spreads like an infection. Mostly, it was just a metaphor and a story my mother mentioned once so that we wouldn't try to do bad things to people. It's not like she wanted to induce nightmares."
"Well it's not useful," he replied.
"If you want more info then you need to go to them, but I can't go with you."
"Where are they?" Trish asked.
"We don't even know if that is what it is. It could be something completely different," Lady said.
Dante shrugged. "It's the only lead we have."
"They're in Willowland City. About a day's drive. It's called the Blood Temple. Don't let the name scare you, they're harmless."
Lady looked at Dante. "We should go find out what they know. Maybe they even know about what's happening now."
"Well, looks like Vergil's going to meet your parents. I hope they like him," Dante said and placed his hands behind his head. Vergil looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye.
"It would be suspicious for all four of us to walk into the temple," he said, changing the subject. "Lady and Trish would probably draw less attention."
"You two should dress more modestly and maybe cover your hair. Sins are forgiven, but not if they're intentional," Evangeline said to Lady and Trish. Lady glared at Evangeline.
"What sin are we committing?" Lady snapped.
Evangeline raised her hands. "Look, I'm just telling you what they told me."
Trish looked at each individually. "We should leave in the afternoon after getting sleep."
Vergil held out his hand for Evangeline who took it and stood up from the couch. They began walking towards the door, and Lady and Dante started up the stairs.
Outside, Vergil grabbed her hand and held it as they walked.
"Stay in the apartment," he said. "Don't get into trouble."
Evangeline tried to see his face in the lamplight. He turned his head slightly so she could not see that worry was taking root.
"I'll be careful."
"I love you," he said, still looking away from her.
She smiled, but said nothing. The half-moon shined brightly down, creating shadows along their path as they walked silently home. The tension of their impending separation hung in the air like thick fog that would dissipate in the morning light and Vergil would be gone.
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