"Damn." Dante told himself for what felt like the millionth time after they got out of the hotel/mansion.
Well, to be more accurate, him and his unconscious companion that he had over his shoulder and was carrying away.
He'd managed to get them both away from that one room, but the second she got something solid to grab onto Saya had immediately tried to run back to the "pit".
There wouldn't have been any point in Diva's sacrifice if they just went back there and got caught or killed themselves though.
That's what Vergil would have said anyway, about a year or two ago.
But it kind of pissed off Dante that they'd had to run away like that at all.
It was the first time. The first time, that he'd had to actually just plain run away from a fight.
Every other time it didn't matter to him; he always found some way to win.
"But that Nero guy. What the hell is he? All the other freaks that came after us were strong, but human. That guy messed up Gemonia and everything I threw at him like he was waiting a few minutes for his show to come on or something." Dante said to himself while lowering Saya's feet down to the ground and carrying her in that way; trying his best to make it look like she was drunk as opposed to unconscious, since that would be a lot harder to explain if someone saw them.
"I'll take her back to the shop and we'll rest up, then when everything's better the two of us'll go and rescue Diva and kill that black-haired asshole."
He glanced down at Saya.
"No offense for the black-haired thing." He said as they made "their" way down a street that was only about a block from Devil May Cry.
All the shops were closed by now and only a few cars drove by them, the drivers luckily didn't notice that he was virtually-carrying her or didn't care.
While walking down the sidewalk he saw a specific shop in passing, one he'd never actually been in but remembered anyway.
It had some kind of fancy French name that he couldn't pronounce but was essentially an expensive-out-the-ass dress shop.
The main reason he remembered it was because the day right after they got back to the shop, Diva had been bothering Vergil about getting her some kind of dress since they came downstairs that morning.
He'd told her there was still a lot of work to do on the shop since he'd "rearranged the décor" as Vergil had put it. But she wouldn't let up until he agreed to put off the reconstructing work and take her there to get a dress.
Of course, Dante had immediately told him there was no way in hell he was going out before fixing the shop he'd trashed, but his twin had responded that Diva's request had been prolonged for more than long enough, causing her to nuzzle herself against his arm.
And before he could put the sentence together and connect it to Vergil actually being the speaker Diva had already pulled him out the doorway.
Eventually, when they hadn't come back for more than two hours, he'd gone after them to make sure the two hadn't skipped out on him and went on a shopping spree.
Though Dante didn't know how to pronounce the place's name he'd known what store Diva was talking about when she said she wanted a new dress, and went there first.
At first he hadn't really cared if they were shopping somewhere else or still at the same place, it was getting frigging cold out and he wanted them to get started as soon as they could.
But when he saw that they were at the same store, Diva still dragging Vergil all over it, and his normal bored and pissed-off expression was vacant, replaced by what almost looked a smile, he'd let it slide and snuck back to the shop, saying they could get started the next day.
As far as Dante knew, the dress Vergil bought her that day was the only one she took special care of, by herself. Which had surprised Saya, who was otherwise "forced" to do Diva's laundry since she was unwilling to usually do it herself.
He wasn't sure why, but even though only the lights were off in the shop and he couldn't see either of them in it, it made him feel crappy.
"Maybe it's because they might both be dead and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. Just maybe." He thought out loud as the street that ended at his shop appeared before his eyes as he exited an alley that connected the two streets.
The way they had taken before was a bit faster, but it was also mainly along roads and he didn't want anyone giving him a hard time about carrying Saya.
"Almost there." He told her like she could hear him.
Dante didn't know how long it would take for Gemonia to repair itself but he couldn't wait very long.
Not to mention simply keeping Saya from running back would be a pain in the ass once she woke up.
He averted his eyes from "Love Planet", trying to stay focused for once.
Of all the things though, there was one major problem; they were going to go back and try to attack the same place they had just come from, with little-to-no more abilities than they'd had before and one less person. There was no way in hell they would be able to do much at all as they were, even if Nero was the only person they had to fight at all.
"Unless I find some damn super-mushroom that gives me a million experience points or whatever the hell I need we're in deep shit here." He said bluntly.
If only there were some sort of analyzing, strong, objective guy to help them out.
"The one time I need the bastard he goes and gets himself killed. I bet he laughed when he saw me get my ass blasted into that wall." He said while approaching the doors of his shop, which were currently opening.
When the opener, Lady, who looked like she was about to go out for a job, saw him she stopped in her tracks, looking at him and Saya.
"Dante, what happened?" She asked him as he continued towards the doorway.
"There was a lot of slashing, stuff blowing up and crazy assholes getting in our way. Nero turned out to be the deceptive bastard I thought he was, we killed two more of 'em and, oh yeah, Diva had to stay behind just for us to get away." He said, obviously conveying how pissed off he was.
"You ran away? And you left Diva there to fight them all herself?" She asked him, seeming genuinely surprised.
He wanted to tell her "hell no" or "I'm just giving them a bit until I kick their asses" or anything else that implied he was doing this because he wanted to. But he couldn't.
"Yeah." Dante responded simply as she stepped out of his way and he walked into the shop, where Haji had apparently been waiting.
Before he could say anything though, Dante made sure to tell him she was just unconscious.
Though the details of how it happened was something he left out.
As Haji took Saya from him and laid her down on a couch, he sat down in another one himself, while Lady closed the doors, walking back into the room.
He pulled Gemonia out of his coat and looked at it, surprised to see that half of the damage that was done to it had already repaired itself. And that the bloody twisted up piece he'd brought with him was now cut in half.
"What happened to your weapon?" She asked him while leaning against the pool table.
He glanced up at her before putting it back under his coat.
"That bastard twisted a piece off."
"You mean Nero?"
He gave a half-nod, as if not willing to talk about him.
"I'm surprised. I didn't think he was against us. I mean, if he wanted the three of you dead why didn't he just let that one guy blast you?"
Dante shrugged while leaning back in the couch.
"Guess it wouldn't be productive or whatever."
"It was weird though. When he was talking it was almost as if he was-"
"I know. That's probably why he did it. Sounding like Vergil probably made him think it'd fool us. Guess it worked. More or less anyway."
Saya moved in her sleep, but didn't seem to be waking up yet.
"How do you think Diva is doing?" She asked while pulling a handgun out that was holstered behind her and setting it on the surface, she'd be more comfortable.
"I don't know. She learned how to use her sword right before we had to… leave. Not sure how strong she'll be."
"Do you think she can beat them all?"
He sighed, leaning forward again.
"…No way."
"You're lucky Vergil isn't here." She attempted, trying to make him feel a bit better.
"He would have gotten really mad that you left her behind."
Dante shook his head while lying down on the couch.
"No." He spoke as he closed his eyes.
"Vergil never would have left her behind to begin with."
I know it was shorter than the others but I didn't want them to just appear at the shop in some random chapter.