Sorry about this but ifelt the chapter a little too higgeldy piggeldy so I rewrote some of it and switched it. As I said before, Trish returns and so does a cool One Winged Knight, but anyway, read on. My thanks as always for reviews and messages.
A Return
"What news now?" Sentinel asked the thin air. He was standing on the edge of a roof looking down at the city below. Beside him a young woman stepped out of the air into solidity and stood beside him.
"You shouldn't do that," She said reproachfully, "It's kind of unnerving."
"Sorry. It's part of who I am."Sentinel gave her a sheepish grin. "Anyway, what news Messenger?"
Business as usual. "The time is getting closer Hand. There will be trouble ahead and it's quite possible that the end is near."
"Anything further?"
"No sir. You know that they never reveal all that they know. We follow their orders on faith, not knowledge."
Sentinel sighed. "Yes I know. It would be good though to finally get a bit of a breakthrough. But we must do things the way they should be, justice and fairness, even if our enemies do not do so. You don't have to call me sir, you know."
She looked a bit surprised by this. "Why not? It's you who always says, "We keep our honour" and all that kind of stuff."
Sentinel grinned. "Because Aria, we are both of the same rank and we have no seniority over each other."
Aria sniffed. "Fine. I guess so."
Sentinel laughed. "You think so? You know so. Or do I have to remind you of your rank, Messenger-General!"
Aria snickered. "Don't start. Or will I have to remind you of your rank?"
He was silent and for a moment she thought he'd forgotten her. "J…"
"Now is not the time for either of us to be revealed to the world Aria." He cut her off. "Let us pray that the day never comes." He whispered.
Aria folded her arms across her chest as she started to fade from the world. "Just remember who you are. And tell those subordinates of yours to be a little more discreet."
Sentinel sighed. "What have they done now?" he said to no one.
Vergil guided the car back through the city streets at a speed that no one could match. The only thing that stopped them being chased by the cops was that Vergil gave them a stare that left them shivering.
"Where are we going bro?" Dante had to shout above the wind.
"To get Lady and the whole truth. There are more than just him Dante, this could be very serious."
"Yeah I know, but why are you driving so fast?"
"Why do you think! We need to start tracking them! The sooner the better!"
"Hey Verge!"
"Yes!"
"I think Nero just got sick!"
Nero did indeed look pale when they pulled up at the curb and Lady jumped in the back.
"Back to the office! Fast!" she crowed. "What's up with you Nero?"
"Vergil's driving like a, well like a demon!" Nero managed to croak out.
"Have you any more leads Lady?" Vergil interjected.
"Nothing. Only that there are more than one of them, at the least three. Everyone's been having an off few weeks. Nothing, despite increased activity. Even Prof Fate and his crazy suit haven't even been getting prank calls."
"Why are we going back to the office if we're supposed to be tracking them?" Dante asked, "We should just go to the site of the battle."
"Triangulation." Was all that Vergil said in response.
Dante shrugged and sat back. "Okay I guess, but we could do that on the move."
"We also need better information. Liv is hiding something." Vergil replied.
"Whose Liv?" Lady asked Nero who was sitting beside her.
"Some chick Vergil knows who has info on the afterlife." Nero said in a drawl. "She thinks this is the end of the world."
"Really!" Lady was far from impressed.
"Personally I think it's a load of cockamamie nonsense!" Dante added, "But Verge is right about the triangulation."
"What is triangulation?" Nero managed to ask.
Dante threw him a quizzical look. "Triangulation is using map positioning references to locate a person area of operation. It's useful for tracking." He looked at Vergil. "But it could be done here in the car with the map in the door."
Vergil shook his head. "Not if we want to keep asking other Hunters for leads. A car phone costs too much for that."
Half an hour later the three boys were huddled over the map spread over Dante's desk, with Lady on the phone to any hunters she had missed. The conversation before this scene had gone something like this.
"I' not your damn secretary!"
"No one knows the people of the city like you do. You make more than anyone else!"
"Is that the main reason? If it is then you can shove that request-"
"Would you rather it was Dante?"
Silence.
"Good point."
Now Lady was still not happy about being the one who did all the talking but the three boys were poring over the biggest street map possible.
"And that was where? An alley just off the 34th street? Okay thanks Charlie." She put down the receiver. "Got that"
Nero grunted an affirmation as he fixed a coloured pin on the spot. Vergil was standing a little aloof from the map and looking down on it, Dante was right up on top of it and keeping a linear point of view as they got farther along. Most of the Hunters in town had been contacted and they had a few stories to tell but nothing really to any avail. Bradley was the only one who had any different material to give. Bradley was a demon who had fallen in love with a human girl and forsaken his master for her safety. Dante had been hired to kill him, but Bradley had been instrumental in stopping a dangerous incursion. That, coupled with his newfound love and life was the evidence that Bradley had changed. Now Bradley worked as a healer and developer of demon fighting methods. According to him, angels had been spotted in one area of the city. They had been met by a young woman, who had blond hair and didn't really have a register in his senses. He had seen someone like her once before. A person who was not in the real world. They were known as the Eyes of the Gods. Presumably they were supernatural spies. Anyway, after that event the angels had left, and Bradley had taken a sweep of the city and found no trace of them.
This was all taken down into the map references. Eventually all the hunters evidence had been gathered.
Lady strode over to the map. "What have we got?"
Nero shook his head. "Nothing."
In front of them the map was spread out, a virtual panorama of the city. There were dots all over the place. And what was worse, they were in no coherent fashion! They were spread all over the place. No pattern, no localisation. Several were even outside the city limits where rural people had called in to warn the report to some hunters.
"What makes it worse," Vergil said, "is that this place," he pointed to one particular spot, "and this place," he pointed to one on the other side of the city, "were reported on the same night, in the space of ten minutes. They move very fast."
"I gotta get me those kind of wheels!" Dante said in a hushed voice.
Everyone looked at him. "Nothing I know of can go that fast!" he said in a firm tone. "No motorbike, car or rail system. Maybe if you flew, but even then I'm not sure. Teleportation wouldn't work either. It hasn't got the range."
"What about using a slow-time tool like the Quicksilver style ball or the Key of Kronos?" Nero asked.
Dante shook his head. "Doesn't last long enough. I tried it with the car once, but it had the same effect. Doesn't give you too much of an edge either, especially over a long distance like that."
The door opened. All four of them turned their heads. Trish stepped in through the opening. They just stared at her.
"Hi." She replied.
Dante's face brightened up considerably. "Trish! You came home!"
"Yes Dante I did."
"That's great!"
"Yeah, I figured Nero would need someone who actually knew how to be a host around." She grinned.
Dante looked around at the other faces and immediately discarded the overjoyed kid look.
"It's good that you're back babe. It's been hell without you around."
Vergil, the responsible twin broke in. "Any news Trish?"
Trish's face fell and she immediately became a little more sombre. "Yes Vergil. From Lucia, and it's not really that good."
Drumary was finally getting some peace. Lucia looked out across the idyllic square that was part of this historical islands heritage. The entire thing was cobbled and all around the edges were various shops and boutiques that sold all the good that a person living here could want. A simple life that had been helped in no small way by Lucia and the Vie de Marli. They had been instrumental in wiping out the last vestiges of demons on the Island, and Lucia had made it a point to hunt down all of her clones and slay them personally. However the Vie de Marli had never given up their vowed role, protectors of the peace from demons.
Lucia herself had changed a lot since she had last been to the mainland. She now wore her hair tied back into a pair of Drumary pigtails that fitted in with the present style. This let her tanned face be visible and her piercing green eyes be visible to all. She had also begun to take a bit more interest in her solo work. She was renowned for
being a skilled warrior in all manner of combat. Her battle harness, light, simple and easily hidden, contained all her throwing knives which she had learned to summon back to herself. And as always her curved knives were forever on her back, within easy reach. She sipped her coffee and sat back thinking that for the first time in weeks things were going well.
The only warning was a series of screams. Around the corner of the street came a man. His eyes shone with a fierce light and he raised his arms above his head and laughed. Following him came almost a hundred demons! They viciously cut down everyone in their path and two of them spotted a couple of children! The Marionettes made their keening war cries and launched themselves into the air! But, before they reached the defenceless kids a pair of knives ripped into them! The two fell back, breaking on contact with the ground! Lucia came into the battle in a storm of blade work! Her lethal daggers made short work of all who fell to them.
While she and the now arriving members of Vie de Marli threw themselves on the demons, they forgot the tall man. He walked straight over to the terrified children.
"You will suffice. My master will reward me when you are used to open the gates of the Hells! Innocent blood spilled and the Underworld is once again unleashed!"
He began to form a portal inscribed in runes in the air over his head. However at that moment the children began to scream for help!
"Help!"
"Someone, anyone, help us!"
Lucia whirled and began to charge! Even as she did so she knew it was too late! The man raised his arms over his head as the portal solidified. In his hands was a jagged bladed knife. A blood sacrifice! Lucia had to take a moment to defend herself and then turned. As one the children screamed!
They all saw it happen. The runes inverted themselves in response to the cry for aid. Out of it came a long spear! Followed by an armoured and plumed head, shoulders, the arms bearing shield and spear and the winged torso! Just as the knife came down, the shield intercepted it! With a smooth motion the angelic Legionnaire hurled him away. All around the square the air split and dozens of Legionnaires sprang through! Shields interlocked as they moved into battle formation! Plumed helmets moved as they looked to their officers for direction. Then they charged! Hells were spitted, Scarecrows shredded and Marionettes scattered across the square as the Devil Hunter clan and the Angelic Host crashed into the demons! The Legionnaires threw their spears, then drew their swords and let the enemy close!
Above them all, beyond anyones sight, several Fallen took up position. Possessing greater tactical skill they were going to deal out greater damage to their enemy. Their leader was giving them a bit of a run down.
"We will sweep down and clear this place of our masters enemies. This fool was thought to be counted upon, but is now a liability! Attack!"
They flew downward at a high speed, but suddenly stopped! Barring their way was a single angel. He stood tall and proud, curved horns spiralling out of his head, a broken halo between them. He carried a sword and a large shield that looked like a wing. He had only one wing.
"You go no further!"
"You will not stop us!"
"I shall!"
As one they charged! The one winged angel charged back his shield held out in front of him! Their clash was awesome to see, yet none saw it. The one winged knight battered Fallen aside and slashed with his sword! Two dissolved into light particles as the sword ripped through their protective wings and cut across their vulnerable bellies! Ever retreating the Knight kept his shield up and his sword darted here and there, stabbing, cutting through defences and picking out weak spots. A Fallen stabbed at him, but he blocked off the lance with his shield before stabbing into the unprotected belly with his sword! They never reached the bottom of the clouds. All that emerged was the One Winged Knight.
Lucia stood in shock and awe as the Legionnaires lifted the kids up on their shoulders and carried them out of the destroyed square, or took up station around the area to prevent escape. She never noticed the knife man creep up behind her. He raised the blade.
"Die, interfering pest!"
"No, die you murderer!" A javelin nearly took off her ear as the golden blade swept past and hit the man in the face! Lucia turned and noted her rescuer. The One Winged Angel made a gesture and his sword reappeared in his hand. With a nod in her direction he took off.
"We go north, to Fortuna!" he bellowed.
"Aye captain!" the Legionnaires bellowed as one and they all took off. The One Winged Angel turned to look one final time at her.
"I will see you again and get to the bottom of who you are!" he told her in a firm voice.
Then they were gone!
A little info regarding Sentinel releashed there. More will follow. Who he is and what he is are all to be revealed. Please review.