I lunged for him with the lance, ready to take revenge for all the things he had done to me, what I had not expected, though I really should have, was him turning to his so-called angel form. He grabbed the lance, stopping me abruptly.

"Impossible…" He muttered, pushing me back. The armor clattered to the ground, shattering as my soul left it. "IMPOSSIBLE! There is no ghost! THERE IS NO GHOST!"

Outside, there was the open air, a balcony overlooking a great waterfall. Dante set Kyrie down, she breathed in sweet oxygen. Dante looked for water to drink, but all he could find were barrels of gasoline. In his frustration, he picked one up and was about to throw it over the ledge, but got a better idea as he turned around and threw it at the door from the lab, and shot it, causing a large explosion, caving the door in.

Agnus could be heard screaming furiously on the other side. Kyrie covered her ears, she looked at Dante, who took off his large red coat and wrapped it around her. He picked her up.

"We're going to get out of here. I promise, I'm going to get you home, choir girl…"

His feet kicked off the ground and headed up the flight of stairs in front of them, until he came to the door. Dante opened it a crack, then closed the door.

"It's filled with poison too, kid, take in a deep breath, then we're going in, try to breathe in as little as possible."

Kyrie nodded, and sucked in a huge gasp of air, Dante then kicked the doors open, and ran for it, up the small flight of stairs, past the bridge, and back down again on the other end. There was a set of doors in front of them, Dante reached out for it, but drew back immediately, and hid underneath the bridge, holding Kyrie's mouth closed.

Angelo Agnus threw the door open and walked around in fury. "Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU? You can't hide forever, Son of Sparda! Not with the little girl in cargo! Come here!"

Dante had to cover up his mouth in order to smother his own breathing, he eyed the area, and saw me, he looked at me with a desperate face, begging me for help. I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I swore as loud as I could as I scanned the room in a panic.

Dante was being as quiet as he could, but he bumped into something, and scraps of metal clattered to the ground. Agnus turned around and found them. "There you are…" He snickered.

Kyrie held back a whimper as he closed in on them. His red eye glowed with excitement as he trapped them. Dante scooted back, grabbing his gun.

"It's time for the next experiment…don't you think?" he said, and before Dante could grab his weapon, Agnus grabbed his head and flung him across the room. Dante slammed against the wall. Kyrie was left behind, wrapped like a Christmas present. Agnus knelt down to her, her heart beat in her throat. "My, my, don't you look lovely? Credo will be disappointed when he hears that you've conspired with a terrorist. Don't worry, I can keep you from that embarrassment…"

Dante stood up and pulled out from his jacket a shotgun, he ran up to Agnus and shot him in the back. He shrieked and turned to face Dante, his eye narrowed with anger. Dante took a few steps back, his body began to convulse, soon he was vomiting blood as well. He began to choke and struggled to breathe. His body was soon giving in to the poison as well. I hurried around the lab, looking around for something to use against Agnus.

He was laughing at Dante's pain as he fell to his knees and clutched himself. I could hear his gasping, it was loud, and painful, and frightening.

No. Dante can't die. He's the Savior.

"…Don't you dare die!" I screamed as I found an empty suit of armor. "Don't you dare fucking die! You're going to get out of here! You're the god damn Savior!"

"My options…are limited." He gasped at me.

"Yes…your options are rather limited aren't they?" Agnus agreed, not knowing that Dante wasn't talking to him, or even himself. "Why don't you just give up? I can turn off the poison you know…"

"…Fuck you." Dante snapped, "I'd rather be dead than a lab rat!"

Agnus lunged for him, but did not get far as a lance was shoved through his backside. Kyrie screamed as I, in another suit of armor, tossed him back. Dante clutched his side, He stood up with difficulty and trudged slowly over to Kyrie. She tried to stand up too, but fell over.

"Dante…!" She whimpered. Dante reassured her and slowly made his way over to her. Agnus was distracted by the suit of armor, he was trying to catch me, if he did, he'd knock me out, I wouldn't be able to distract him anymore.

"WHO ARE YOU?" He demanded, "YOU CAN'T BE!"

I didn't say anything. I wanted to, but Kyrie was there, I didn't want anything weird to happen. I didn't want to make her insane.

"But you must be…" Agnus said, staring right at me. "So many rumors, so many strange things happening within the castle…Nero…are you truly so pitiful now? I bet it would kill you if you saw her hurt. Oops…never mind!" he began to laugh at his own cruelty.

He hadn't won yet. Dante grabbed Kyrie, he began to pick up his pace a little bit, I watched, and, by mistake, I whispered her name. She looked right at me. Her eyes were wide. She stretched out her arm to reach for me.

A LAST SIGHT OF THE LAB

As Dante carried her away, Kyrie saw a knight, floating in a tube.

He looked asleep, she couldn't tell he was dying.

His soul was slowly drained into the armor he was linked to.

Dante made it to the door, it slammed shut and resonated across the room. Agnus gasped, he turned and saw that his two victims were gone. He cried out. He tried to follow them, but I wouldn't allow it, as he turned his back, I dove for him and stabbed him right through his back. He cried out in pain and fell. He reverted to his human form, and numerous Bianco Angelo's attacked me and crowded me.

Like I cared. I was just a ghost in armor.

Dante made it out, it was no longer painful to breathe. He looked up, and saw where he had fallen from the courtyard. He transformed to his devil form and flew up. He made it to the courtyard and shoveled some snow into his hands and patted it upon Kyrie's weary face.

"Come on, choir girl! Wake up!" He yelled, patting her with slush, "Wake up! Wake up you little bitch or else I'll take that god damn handkerchief and burn it!" He shook her body furiously, "Damn it, Kyrie! Get up! You can't be this bad! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! If this is for all the things I've said or done, I take them all back! Just get up! Move! Kyrie! Please! You're not going to die! You're going to see that stuck-up body guard and that one guy! That guy I let live!"

I watched him, I watched as he shook her, small tears dripped from his face. He picked her up, he cradled her. Kyrie was motionless in his arms, I looked up and saw the light, God, I saw the light. I couldn't believe it, not again. I ran up, I spread my arms, and I cried to the angels:

"Take me! Take me! I've been waiting for ten fucking months! I'm sick of being stuck here, dammit! TAKE ME YOU FEATHERED FUCKERS! I'M READY! I'VE SEEN ENOUGH! TAKE ME! I'M READY TO SEE HIM! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! LEAVE HER ALONE! TAKE ME!"

Even at my screaming, they came. They floated to the ground, they surrounded her body in Dante's arms (I don't believe he could see them as I could), one reached in for her soul, but there was a resurgence, a struggle, a fight from Kyrie's soul.

They stopped, they stared, at me, then her, and then the sky, to which they returned.

Dante held her close, and whispered, "I can see him, Kyrie…I see Nero, he's still here. His ghost still lingers here, and he has been protecting you, he has been watching you for the longest time, because he still loves you, Kyrie. Wake up, wake up, he wants you to live…"

Kyrie whimpered, she squirmed inside his coat, slowly her eyes opened, she looked up at Dante. "Nero…?" She whispered.

Dante sighed, "Thank God…thank God, Kyrie…"

Kyrie looked around, "Where…are we?"

"In the courtyard, we're out of that…that hellhole…"

She smiled, and sobbed silently. "We made it…" She gasped, "We made it…"

"Yeah…we're alive, choirgirl. We can breathe now. Don't worry." Dante stood and ran into the castle, the last thing he needed at this moment was for Agnus to follow him out of the hole they came from. He carried her away into the hallways of the castle. He set her down and took his jacket back. Kyrie struggled to stand up, she had to lean on him. He held her up gently.

Kyrie looked at him, the blood on his face, and put her hand up to his head, he flinched a little bit. "How are your wounds?" She asked, her voice was weary.

Dante shook his head. "I'm more worried about you." he said, "Most of your wounds won't just patch up…"

Kyrie looked at the ground, she clutched her body. She vomited up the meat pie Agnus had fed to her. Dante picked her up and brought her to the nearest room in the castle.

She lied down, but she did not sleep. It was as if she refused to sleep. She seemed so afraid, she was so fragile. Dante sat next to her. Kyrie turned and stared at Dante, she looked at him with pain, "Are…are you really going to kill Credo? Is he really your next target?"

"…As long as he stays human…I won't touch him. Your father's safe."

Kyrie was taken back by this comment, "Credo's not my father. He's my brother."

"Your brother?"

Kyrie nodded. "He's older by about six years."

Dante nodded, then made a small confession. "I had a brother once…I did kill him. But…it wasn't for the reason that man said. I didn't kill him out of spite, or hatred. I killed him…because…in the end, that was his final wish. He was possessed, manipulated by the Demon Emperor. It took him so long to speak with his own free will. And when he did, he asked me to free him. To kill him. So I did." Dante sighed, "It didn't feel good," Dante held her hand, afraid of touching her in a wrong spot. "I'm sorry I didn't show up earlier…"

Kyrie shook her head, "You still showed up, though…you continued to protect me, regardless of what he said about me being weak.…Dante? Are you really the Son of Sparda?"

Dante sighed, but nodded his head; Kyrie sat up and rested her head on his shoulders.

"So that's why…why you've been protecting me…"

"…You could say that…"

"Dante?"

"Yes?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"…Yeah."

"…I think Nero's the Ghost of Fortuna…I think he's been watching over me…" She took Dante's hand and squeezed it a little bit, "Yes…I do believe it's him…He'd do that. He was always protective over me."

"I can understand that."

A (SECRET) THOUGHT FROM DANTE

"If there's anything certain about you:

You're a person worth saving."

Kyrie continued to clutch Dante's hand, she squeezed it. Her lips trembled. She dove into his chest, and bawled into him. She choked, cried, and blubbered. She clenched his shoulders, squeezed them until Dante was certain he'd end up with little red finger marks on his flesh. But even still, he did not push her off, he did not yell, he did not sigh with frustration.

"He killed Nero!" She wailed. "He killed Nero! He killed Nero! That fucking bastard killed Nero! He killed Nero and he tried to kill me! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I HATE HIM!"

A TRAGIC OBSERVATION

I had never heard Kyrie swear.

I had never heard her cry in such anguish.

I had never heard her express so much hate.

It was scary.

Dante shushed her, he cradled her, "Kyrie…" He said quietly, "Kyrie, Kyrie, listen to me…" He held her face close to him, "Kyrie…He won't get away with this…I promise you. I promise that I will see that man…thing, whatever the hell he is, dead. I'll…I'll set Nero, and all the other's souls at rest."

In his arms, Kyrie fell asleep, her eyes were red, her hair stuck to her wet face. Dante held her close, she continued to tremble. "You know…" Dante said, listening to Kyrie as she slept in his arms, "I was never trying to hurt you. When I aimed at you. I wasn't actually trying to, you know, hit you. I was always aiming at the side. Trying to scare you off." He sighed, and held her tighter, "You first dove for me, because you thought I was going to shoot your brother, didn't you? Well, I wasn't. I was trying to shoot the old man again, make sure he was dead." He began to hum to her, a song once sung by his own murdered mother. She calmed, her breathing became normal, her heart slowed. The nightmares were chased away.

But not Agnus.

He was safe, he had made it. He was alive. He was back in the safety of Headquarters. He bit his lip, trying to slow his heavy breathing. He wiped sweat from his forehead, and took in another deep breath.

Never had anything gone so horribly wrong.

In order to console himself, he dug into his coat pocket, it was Kyrie's hair tie, strands of plucked auburn hair remained stuck and knotted to the elastic and hairpiece. He clutched in his large hand, he brought it to his face, and inhaled her scent. He brought it down, and held it to his hollow chest.

"Agnus!"

He twitched, he yelped, and stumbled a little bit. Credo gave him an odd look. Agnus recollected himself, "Y-Your Holiness…! You gave me a fright!"

"…Are you okay?" Credo asked, examining the sweat upon his forehead.

Agnus took in a deep breath, then spoke, "It's been quite a rough day, Your Holiness…"

Credo nodded, "Where have you been that has given you such a rough time? I've been looking everywhere for you…"

He clenched his fists. Had it been Sanctus, he wouldn't have questioned his whereabouts… "The forest, sir…"

Credo tilted his head, "That's a rather dangerous area to be these days…demons have been showing up everywhere! I mean…the town, the forest…" He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I just can't comprehend why all this is happening." he looked down, he sighed.

Agnus saw his chance, and took it. He scampered up to Credo and placed his large arms on his shoulders, he massaged him. "Now, now, don't worry, Your Holiness, we'll get this all sorted out soon. And I promise you…and I do mean promise you, that we will find your sister, and we will kill that bastard that started all of this. Especially if it…does somehow turn out, and Sparda forbid, that he took your sister…"

Credo took in a deep breath, and exhaled, Agnus continued rubbing his shoulders with his massive arms, the arms he had used to cup Kyrie's breasts, the hands he used to force her down. "But in the meantime, Your Holiness, you should rest, I'm sure that my day has been nothing compared to yours…"

"…I wouldn't exactly say that…but I would agree that the last few days have been rather stressful on me…" Credo sighed, rubbing his face. Agnus nodded, and gently pushed Credo away.

Credo pounded his foot down, Agnus stopped. "Your Holiness? Is something wrong?"

Credo nodded his head, "I had spent nearly the entire day looking for you that I forgot why I was in pursuit. Agnus, you said you wanted to show me something. It seemed to have something to do with the Hell Gate."

Agnus at first did not recall, but eventually his mouth opened in remembrance. "Ah, yes, Your Holiness, I do recall." He smiled, "This way."

Agnus walked on, Credo followed him. I watched, I whispered in Credo's ear, hoping he would somehow hear me. I warned him not to trust this man; I tried to warn him that he was not as innocent as he thought.

I looked back in Credo's memories. He and Gloria were in his room, she was looking at a picture of herself with Kyrie, taken at least three months ago. Credo stood up.

"…I should find Agnus, he wanted to see me. Before I batted him away, at least."

Gloria rolled her eyes, "Really, Credo, I don't like that man, he gives me a bad feeling."

Credo sighed, "When I look back, I remember him…he came to our house every now and then and spoke with my father. My mother felt the same way that you did about him. My father always sighed, he said to her 'He's very lonely, I can't just shoo him away'. My father…he seemed to pity him, so I guess I've learned to pity him as well, so…"

Credo did not finish his sentence, he simply stood and walked out the door, "Besides, it's the least I can do for what I had already done earlier."

I sighed at his analogy, but followed behind Credo and Agnus, wishing that of all people, Credo could see me.

Credo followed him into an area beyond the first section of HQ, into a large cylinder of a building, across the meeting room. Credo trembled; he had never been past the door beyond the meeting room. Only His Holiness progressed past there.

The next room beyond was practically empty, save for the one stone bed in the middle. A strange sensation came over Credo. His hands were quivering, and would not stop; he hid them behind his back-away from Agnus.

Such a strong, demonic presence lingered here…it even made me shudder.

There was a narrow hallway and a door at the end, Agnus walked up to it, but Credo stood at the entrance of the hallway, worried about the consequences that would follow. Where was Agnus taking him? And why was he even following him?

Why was the faint scent of his dead sister coming from Agnus' hands?

"Your Holiness?" Agnus said, quiet and worried.

"I'm sorry…I believe I must leave. I think Gloria might be calling me…I think I hear her." Credo said, keeping his voice steady. He turned and left. His feet were swift, but he did not run.

Agnus clenched his fist and ground his teeth together.

SOMETHING AMAZING ABOUT CREDO

He had escaped death numerous times.

Without even realizing it.