Chapter 25
Author's Notes: Hey lets continue the pain train, kids.
Numbness filled your entire being.
How could you even begin to process it, the feeling crawling up your spine? Staring at this man... Vergil, the culmination of every fear you held, the manifestation of your failure. He stood straight and poised, eyes sharp and brow furrowed in a stern, albeit dazed expression. Processing. You understood now, all of V's reservations. His lies, his hidden truths, the hesitations he showed. Everything was falling into place, the pieces fitting together in a chain of despair and lies. It made you feel numb, eyes wide and staring at this person, standing in place of the one you lost.
Everything made sense now. Dante's comment about the Yamato separating man from devil, V saying Urizen "took" something important from him, something he couldn't live without. His desire to reach the demon, that drive to move forward without stop. It was bitterly obvious now, this truth you so desperately didn't want to see. Each new thought made your teeth grind, the pain growing and growing inside until you felt near bursting, breath shaking and nails digging into your palms. You were a fool, an ignorant fool. And you hated yourself for it.
V and Urizen...they were pieces of one whole, different being.
Dante's brother.
V was a piece of Dante's brother.
The devil hunter in question was furious, staring at Vergil in shock and anger. Each breath sounded like it was sucked through his teeth, eyes sharp and jaw clenched. He looked very displeased to see his brother, that was for certain, more so than you had ever seen him. That realization only made your grief grow, clawing its way up your throat and shredding everything in its wake. The man you loved, trusted, and adored...he was gone, and in his place was a man who caused the death of so many human lives. Nothing you knew made sense anymore, none of it did. You thought you knew V, knew his intentions and his feelings. But now...you knew nothing.
Because he was part of a bigger picture, a different person.
But it didn't stop any of it, any of the pain, the mourning, the agony. All of this had happened, things crumbling like wet paper and you still were so in love with the poet. That alone was crushing and confusing, making your head spin in circles trying to figure it all out. You loved him, you loved V so much that it was unbearable now.
Everything was unbearable now.
You were volatile, on the edge of collapse and there was nothing you could do about it but sit, shaking softly and struggling to pull yourself together. Nothing worked, nothing would work. No amount of self composure, breathing, or reasoning would remove the growing turmoil inside your body.
This is agony.
Nero looked as shocked confused as you felt, looking at the newcomer with wide eyes and chest rising in quick breaths. You all watched as Vergil turned, walking over to where V's book lay on the Qliphoth floor, now just a forgotten reminder of who had it before. You jolted, hands trembling when he bent down, picking it up with careful fingers. You didn't want him to touch it, he shouldn't be touching it. That book belonged in V's hands, his voice murmuring the gentle lines of William Blake's poetry. You could feel it now, creeping into the tangled mess of emotion in your mind, that one thing you hadn't felt so potently in a long...long time.
Fury.
You felt it worming its way into your skull, only slightly. The faintest hints of rage, carried on a cold breeze and mingling with the other terrible things inside, becoming acquainted. How could this have happened, how could V do this to you? Was...any of it really? The love, the affections, his kind words...or was it all just a tool to keep moving forward, your energy his only means of getting back to Urizen?
You didn't want to doubt, not like this. Not now, when things were bad enough. But it existed there, in your mind, wrapping around you like a forceful embrace. To be used and abused for so long, and now discovering the person you loved may have done the same...it was shattering, something you didn't want to accept. It couldn't be true, could it? You thought you knew that wasn't the case, but what the hell did you know anymore. All this situation proved was that you knew nothing.
Dante was the first to speak into the silence stretching in the air, finding his voice much easier than you. Hell, there was nothing in your mind you could formulate into a sentence at that moment that made sense. The devil hunter was on a mission, one that was much clearer than yours now, and his tone definitely showed it. Filled with a low warning, growing in intensity as he regarded the tall, surly-looking male before him.
"Ya got some pretty big cojones for comin' back," He growled, eyes narrowing a second before he startled sprinting at his brother, voice growing louder as he raised his sword for an attack, "Just don't know when to give up, do ya?!"
You felt yourself tense up, not sure how the other male would respond to such a head on assault from Dante. It was far too sloppy, even for him. His mind wasn't in the right place, not with everything going on.
Vergil was not fazed.
You watched, that hollow ache in your chest growing when Vergil twitched, easily blocking the hit with a flick of his Yamato. He flipped it around in a precise movement, sending the sword's sheath hard into Dante's stomach. It happened so fast, almost elegant in his movements. Even when Dante took the object and hurled it right back. It slid onto the sword once more, pushing Vergil back with a low grunt and a dark glare. What a look he wore, annoyance now tracing the lines of his brow and mouth, those eyes glinting in disdain. You couldn't understand it, how V came from this person, or why.
Nothing made sense.
Dante fell back, looking frustrated and panting heavily as he shook off the blow. You saw him lock gazes with Nero, a snarl passing over his lips as he started forward again.
"Get out of my way, Nero!" He shouted, despite the fact that Nero wasn't making any movements to stop him.
But the boy stepped back, closer to your side as he watched everything unfold in absolute perplexion. You couldn't blame him, especially considering you didn't have the faintest idea of how to process anything you were feeling. How were you supposed to stand, to feel, to recover? Your throat felt raw and dry, body cold and on the verge of shivering. You still weren't over what happened, what your Deity had done to you. It was a breach of your trust, one that was invasive and wrong and...so many things, too many things to pick apart. It left you feeling violated, betrayed-the one person who had guided you for so long just forcibly held you down and made you watch your world collapse. What were you supposed to do?
Nero glanced down at you, seeing the absolute vulnerability in your expression without fail this time. You felt him wrap an arm around your waist, making you jolt a little bit in surprise as you finally gazed up at him. He looked concerned for you, guilt and sadness in his expression as he took in all the grief in yours. There was no doubt Nero knew exactly what you were feeling in that moment, and he didn't know what to do.
He pulled you to your feet, helping to keep you steady as the men continued their little spat. You flickered your eyes back to them, watching in shock as Vergil practically teleported into Dante's next attack, the loud clang of metal on metal echoing in the room. You took another step back, stumbling a bit but held up by Nero's arm. What the hell were they doing? What did this little fight solve? They were in a test of strengths now, sword against sword and creating sparks in their wake. Dante was anger, hot and stubborn whereas Vergil was cold, calm and poised. Polar opposites, like a cat and a dog.
It shocked you when Vergil spoke, his voice sending a jolt of trepidation down your body where it settled in your stomach, making you sick. That was not the voice of V, not even close. His tone, honeyed and warm like a caress. And Vergil's…
Cold, higher in pitch and completely incomparable.
"Defeating you like this...has no meaning." He stated, lips curling into something akin to a smile and eyes glinting with the light from their swords.
But Dante wasn't going to let up. He was straining, small grunts leaving his lips and shoulder muscles twitching in his attempt to push back against his brother's advance.
"Come on Vergil," He rumbled, tone low and filled with stubborn determination, "Let's do this!"
But...why? Why did they need to fight? You didn't understand. It was like the air around them was charged, two energies clashing and making your hair stand on end. You didn't like the sensation, especially not the one Vergil brought with him.
Please. I just want V back.
I don't understand. I don't understand anything.
"Heal your wounds, Dante. Get strong," Vergil replied to his brother's commands, looking far more calm and steady. Devoid of an emotion but smug, cold satisfaction, "After that, we'll settle the matter."
He whipped the sheath of the Yamato around, knocking Dante's legs out from under him as he brought the sword itself down. Steel clanged against each other, sending up another cloud of sparks. Dante blocked the attack, the force sending him sprawling back into an ungraceful slide. Frustration made its home in the demon hunter's expression, the man staring incredulously at his brother like what he said was the opposite of what he expected. You didn't know what bad blood the two shared, or why. Years of conflict had to lead to this moment, bitterness running deep in their veins and harsh words seeming to be the only thing they could spout.
You lifted your gaze, watching as Vergil left his fighting stance. He lifted his sword, turning his back on the three to slash an x into the air-glowing indigo lines formed where he did, leaking an ethereal smoke. What in the world was he doing? Your shoulders started trembling again, the Void power setting into a dangerous, warning swirl with how your emotions were beating against the walls of your head. This man hadn't once looked into your eyes, acknowledged you, or showed any sign of noticing you there at all. There was so much you wanted to say, to ask, but your body seemed locked in that location, frozen by indecision.
V is a part of this man, he who is nothing like the man you love.
Please, I'm so lost. I don't know what to do.
You watched as the lines he cut opened, revealing a dark, ominous purple of a swirling portal. It clicked with you immediately that he was intending to make his leave, that sword serving as a means to move between spaces-there was a lot that the Yamato could do that you didn't understand. Lips parted, you tried to say something, whatever would ease the ache even a little bit. But your tongue was practically frozen to the roof of your mouth. Did you have any right to say anything, to ask anything? So much of this felt wrong, like it wasn't real.
Vergil took a single step toward the portal he created, pausing briefly to turn his head. You saw his lips part, face shifting from the smug, coldness to something much more calm. What was he doing? He looked over his shoulder at the boy next to you, his expression calm and neutral.
"Thank you, Nero." He stated simply, meeting Nero's confused gaze for a brief moment.
Before his eyes shifted ever so slightly to you.
You didn't know what to expect-maybe recognition, or guilt, or some sign of your poet being inside this stranger you didn't know. You couldn't imagine what he would see in your face, maybe vulnerability, hurt, and despair. But...that didn't matter, and you received no such thing from this man. His expression didn't shift, showing no sign of anything as his grayish-blue perception graced your face. And that was all he spared...a single passing glance, no words, no explanations...nothing. He turned in the next instant, not acknowledging you in any other way as he took another step into the portal, intending to enter it and be on his merry way.
The emotions inside you broke, coiling tighter and tighter until they snapped like a cheap rubber band.
It was all too much. It overwhelmed you, every barrier shattering under the weight of your pain, despair, and anger. So much anger. You couldn't control your body, and you could scarcely care.
You don't get to do that to me.
You don't get to just come into people's lives and hurt them.
You don't get to walk away.
Thousands of tendrils snapped out of your form in an instant, sending Nero sprawling back as your launched forward, so fast a crack whipped out into the air. Your Void power raged inside, spiking out in all directions with your volatile emotions and mixing with the fierce, roaring agony of your Foresight. Stop Stop Stop! Your ability was screaming at you, pounding against you in waves that told you this action was by far the worst you could do, something that would have negative effects. But you didn't care. You couldn't care. This pain was of little consequence, your mind in a frenzy far too great to stop yourself anymore.
You would take this pain, and turn it into power.
None of the three men expected your attack. Vergil only turned at the sound you released, barely managing to lift his katana in enough time to block himself.
You slammed into him, tendrils lashing out in all directions like uncontrollable whips as you pressed against the sheath of the sword, pinning Vergil to the ground. The impact was so hard it cracked the floor beneath him, a grunt escaping his lips. Had it been a normal human, you could have broken his back doing that. But Vergil was no garden variety, every day human being. The portal behind him was mere inches away, the swirling, ominous purple illuminating you both in this struggle, locked in your own contest of strength.
He had the good graces to look surprised-he was gritting his teeth, shocked emotions flashing briefly in his eyes before being replaced by cold disdain. You were panting, eyes black and hair raising with the crackling, burning energy flickering over your skin. No more, no more holding back, no more biting your tongue. You had enough of these games, of the lies, of the pain. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair. You tried so hard, sacrificed so much only to be the only left aching in the end.
I gave everything only to be treated like nothing again.
The thought alone made your power spike, nausea rising in your stomach and leaving you with the taste of whale oil in your mouth. You heard Dante and Nero gasp, watching as your power display grew, tendrils turning an inky black and slamming into every available surface they could find. You were out of control, you couldn't stop. Not anymore.
"Y/N!" Dante yelled, trying to run at you but fifty tendrils whipped out, knocking against his sword and sending him flying back. You didn't even look at him, eyes locked on Vergil's as you gripped the Yamato's sheath, the claws of your gauntlet digging in. Each breath was like ice, the cold chilling you all the way to your fingertips. Where the black, sharp claws cut in dark crystal started to form, slowly spreading over the sheath.
I don't care. I don't care I don't care.
I cared too much.
"You…!" Your voice was a raw hiss, vibrating with your power as tendril after tendril slammed into his sheath, "You don't just get to do that…!"
Vergil let out a low grunt, glaring hard at you and pressing the heel of his boot against your stomach, trying to peel you off. If he thought that measly pain would stop you, he was gravely mistaken.
You don't get to just make me love you then take everything.
"Foolishness." Vergil ground out from between his teeth, not breaking his gaze with you and shoving the Katana back hard. More tendrils slammed down, holding you in place and refusing to budge. More and more, slamming into the ground, walls, ceiling. It was so loud, everything was so loud and chaotic but you couldn't muster an ounce of caring. It hurt, everything hurt so much.
You hurt me.
The howl of the Void started to grow around you, filling this room of the Qliphoth until you felt like you were back in the Void. For every movement you made, the pain only grew in spades. It grew and grew until you felt like you were on fire, choking back a hoarse scream of agony and swallowing it whole. You refused to yield, not now. Not when everything was so raw, painful.
"You don't get to just hurt people and walk away like its nothing…!" You snarled in his face, hands trembling as you pushed and pushed your power to the limit. You were starting to exert, finally after all this time. No longer replying on the rune to save you, "Where is he?! Where is V?!"
You are not him. There is no way someone like him can be inside someone like you.
There must be a mistake, or a lie.
Vergil narrowed his eyes at your words, lips curling in a snarl of disdain. You thought you saw something flicker in his eyes, taking in your trembling form above him, but it was gone too fast to identify it.
Your power was growing out of control, the strain of using so much energy making black veins appear under your skin. You shuddered, fighting the urge to retch as more whale oil bubbled into your throat.
I won't stop. I won't. I don't care anymore.
"If you were wise, you would back down now," Vergil hissed, fingers gripping the sheath of his sword so hard you heard the material groan under the strain, "This doesn't concern you."
His words made you suck in a breath, blood boiling further and sharp breaths leaving your parted lips. He didn't get to just do that, to disregard everything you had done and all that you felt. Was there no hint of V in this man? No memory of you, of what you shared? The thought of every trace of your poet being lost made you want to scream, to destroy more, to fight until you were a husk on the ground with no power left. You were crumbling, unable to hold anything back and unable to stop.
The Void energy snapped out from your body, creating fissures along the ground where rats began to materialize around you. It was an ability you knew was available, but you never used it. Not once. Even now, it wasn't happening by choice-you couldn't control yourself, the energy wildly lashing out in whatever way it could. You heard Dante and Nero let out noises of shock and alarm, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening around you.
You were coming undone.
"Why?" You whispered to the man beneath you, eyes filled with every ounce of pain you felt as you stared at his cold face, "Just tell me why…!"
Just tell me something.
Anything.
But Vergil had no explanations to give you. He sucked in a breath, releasing it in a sharp huff and narrowing his eyes on your face. A low growl rumbled in his chest, filled with warning as he still refused to break contact with your eyes. Somehow...that was even worse. To have no guilt, no shame, no remorse. To have nothing.
But something was there, a knowing look in those icy orbs as he took in your condition. You couldn't imagine what you looked like.
"Stand down now." He commanded, tone still a low growl as he pressed back harder and harder. He tilted his head, leaning his face closer to yours as the sheath pressed against your heaving chest. You didn't quite know what you expected him to say. Maybe more commands for you to back off, something condescending or rude. But what came out of his mouth hit you like a blow to the chest.
"You know as well as I that you don't have the energy to take me…Sparrow."
Your eyes flew open in shock, every part of you coming to a startling halt at that nickname uttered on his lips. Vulnerability hit you like a freight train, all concentration lost and brain scrambling in pain and grief. No no no...he didn't get to just do that, to say that. He didn't get to just fucking do that...!
He knew.
He knew what V called you.
Your poet had uttered that name, spoken in soft, adoring tones and hushed lips. While making love, while sharing a kiss and while baring his soul to you. Hearing Vergil say it to you now…
It broke you.
The male took advantage of your vulnerability, snapping the katana up and sending you flying back. You choked on your yelp of pain, tendrils too unstable to break your fall or help you. They disappeared the instant your rage broke, turning into black crystal and snapping off from your velocity. It hurt, it hurt so much it was unbearable-both from your emotional distress and the backlash of the Void.
Exerting yourself so much and fighting against the Foresight to that extend had wrecked your body. The nausea was unbearable, limbs barely able to move and breaths feeling like ice whenever you wheezed in. When was the last time you had exerted like this, to a point so terrible you felt on the verge of collapse?
Nero leapt to your aid, cushioning your fall and catching you so there was no impact. He skidded, a huff of air leaving his chest as he came to a halt, holding your limp form. The instant you were no longer in motion, you stopped being able to hold back the bile. You doubled over, retching up whale oil that splattered onto the ground near your feet. Disgusting, unbearably so. The neon blue glow was a stark contrast on the dark, bloody red of the Qliphoth flesh. You breathed shakily, slumping in Nero's grasp and pressing a hand to your mouth. It was too much, it was too much to handle anymore.
Nero was panicking, that much you could tell. He held you up entirely, metal arm firm around your waist and the other at your shoulders.
"Y/N…!" He gasped, settling on one knee to hold you up, "You need to stop…! Your body can't take much more of this…!"
You didn't care. You couldn't.
You wearily lifted your gaze, just in enough time to see Vergil slip the Yamato back into the sheath. He looked no worse for wear, body showing no sign of being hurt by your tendrils. You started to tremble again, the sensations heightened by the name he dared to call you, one that was so unbelievably painful. How dare he do that, how dare he take something that mattered so much and fling it at you in disdain? Had Nero not been holding you back, you would have bolted at him again, hands shaking with the desire of it.
He didn't say anything more. He merely turned, clicking his tongue once before finally stepping into the portal he had formed. Leaving. Heaving gasps left you, teeth clenching as you watched the purple swallow him, the space closing as soon as he was out of sight and leaving no trace of the man who hurt you so terribly. You realized a bit belatedly that the book V owned was now gone-Vergil had taken it with him. Something about that only served to make things worse, the anger pounding harder and louder on your skull. A skull that was already throbbing in pain.
I can't take this anymore.
Nero was panting behind you, body forcing you to turn so he could look at you now that Vergil was gone. You couldn't meet his gaze, unable to lift your head at all now that the fight was draining, leaving numbness again. What were you supposed to do, to feel? Two people in your life that you trusted, that you thought cared about you had betrayed you within the same time span of each other. Who could you trust now?
You can't think like that. You can't.
You can't let them take more.
"Are you alright?" Nero asked quietly, brow furrowed with concern as he put his hands on your shoulders. You could even feel Dante looking at you, carefully walking over from where he stood.
You were far from okay, vulnerability playing on the edges of your mind and mingling with the despair and heartbreak. But no amount of wording or explaining would convey that.
"...No," You whispered, wiping the whale oil from your mouth with the back of your hand. Your voice sounded unfamiliar even to you, tired and broken as you continued quietly, "I don't know what to do anymore."
Nero's hands squeezed you, offering comfort in any way he could. Honestly what could he say? Nothing could make up for what had happened, and no words would soothe the turmoil inside.
Still, he spoke, tone softer and more regretful than you had ever heard it, " God damn it...I'm sorry, kid. We'll figure shit out, we'll…" He trailed off, struggling to find the words to articulate his thoughts. You were grateful he was at least trying, at the moment he was all you had in way of comfort. You missed V, the betrayal and hurt so heavy you felt like drowning. And worse...you missed Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare. What had happened to them, where had they gone? Losing them on top of losing V was...devastating.
You wanted them back so bad you could cry.
Dante said nothing to you, but his eyes were on your face. You could feel it. You didn't want to know what the devil hunter thought of you, how this affected him too. You had feelings for V, which was apparently a part of his brother, the very same brother whose other half tried to kill everyone more than once. You knew nothing of the circumstances between the two, but judging by his previous words Vergil had been less than kind to him in the past. Why beat around the bush? You were passionate with V, devoted, deeply in love with him. And now none of him remained.
"You both should get out of here," Dante sighed, turning away and making both you and Nero look up to see him start walking away, "Get back to the van, I'll handle things from here."
Nero did not like that one bit, and neither than you.
He stood, moving toward Dante faster than you could will your legs to move. Especially with how weak you were.
"Wait just a second…!" He snapped, annoyance peppering his tone as he jogged to catch up with Dante, "If that's your brother, what happened to V?!"
He still didn't realize yet, still hadn't connected the dots. You felt like you were about to collapse, standing on wobbly legs and gagging at the feeling of whale oil still lingering in your throat. Disgusting, you felt absolutely trashed. Hearing Nero just say V's name made your eyes squeeze shut, trying to hold back another rippling wave of pain. You didn't want to hear this anymore, there was no desire in you to talk or prattle on about what happened. You were guessing Vergil went back to the top of the tree, so that's where you intended to go.
You wouldn't be stopped.
The Foresight in your stomach flared out again at the thought, making your teeth grind and a hand snake down to hold your abdomen. Agonizing, like being stabbed over and over from the inside. It was warning you to back off, to mind your own business. But you were far past that now.
Return home. The whispers of the Void were lingering in your ears, quiet but firm in their requests, Return to us. He demands it.
You couldn't give a fresh fuck about what "He" demanded anymore.
"He returned," Dante replied to Nero, making your gaze lift to tiredly stare at them both, "To himself."
Nero squinted at the older man in confusion, eyes darting between Dane and where Vergil once stood. He still didn't know, he didn't understand exactly what was going on...and maybe that was for the best.
"Go home Nero," Dante continued, walking away with a low sigh under his breath and a heaviness to his step. Limping, the fight with Vergil taking a lot of of him, "This doesn't concern you."
Bad choice of words, the worst ones in fact.
Nero went on the defensive in an instant, an incredulous look in his eyes as he started after Dante again, "Like hell…! I lost my right arm because of him…!"
You struggled to keep up with them, measuring your steps and pressing the heel of of your palm to your temple. God, your head was throbbing, on the verge of dizziness. You wished they would slow down.
"This is not your fight. I need to stop him, and that's all that matters." Dante replied simply, not turning or stopping in the slightest.
This conversation was going nowhere.
Nero only sounded more angry, his tone taking on a bitter, mocking edge as he snarls, "I'm not gonna let you have all the fun, Dante…!"
Now that got the devil hunters attention, making him turn on his heel and that calm air leaving him in an instant. Seeing him angry was jarring, a far cry from his usual lazy, bemused demeanor. You felt something begin to snap, the air growing thick with energy again. You paused when they did, sucking in a breath at the look on Dante's face. Jaw clenched, eyes sharp and frustrated. You were a few feet away from them, trying to gather yourself and find the strength to move and go after his brother. Would they noticed if you just walked away?
You contemplated it.
"You don't get it!" Dante snapped, leveling his sword on the ground and glaring at Nero's face in absolute exasperation.
Nero scoffed, tone growing more and more bitter than before as he replied, "Lemme guess, I'm dead weight? You can shove that-"
"That's not it, Nero!" Dante's voice was growing louder, both of them were.
This argument was going somewhere, it was about to go off like a bomb, and you didn't have the patience for it.
"What is it then?!" Nero yelled back, more forcefully than you had ever heard him, hands balled up into fists.
"He's your father…!"
...Excuse me?
That made your thoughts halt completely in their tracks, eyes going wide and all the air halting in your lungs. If what you were feeling before was bad, this revelation was like an extra kick to the face, far more shocking than you could image it to be. Vergil...Vergil was his father? Nero's father? Your stomach started doing flips, hands shaking and breaths starting to come short and fast. An eerie silence took up space in the air, making the hairs on the back of your neck prickle as you tilted your head, looking at Nero's form once the realization really started settling in. This was...too much, even for you. Shocking, undeniably so.
But you couldn't imagine what it would do to Nero.
To grow up without family, without a mother and father, only to find out now that it existed...you could practically feel his shock, the boy taking a step back away from Dante. Your need to comfort others kicked in, overriding your own shock, grief and pain for a moment as you stared worriedly at your friend. This was too much, he didn't deserve to learn like this. His own father had ripped off his fucking arm? To be put through all that pain, forced to suffer and adapt how he did only to find out his own flesh and blood committed the atrocity?
This was why Dante was so reluctant to include Nero in anything, wasn't it?
"...What?!" Nero hissed, breath coming shakily now as he stared at Dante's face. You couldn't see his expression, but you could imagine how he must have looked.
You could, however, see Dante's.
There was regret there in his eyes, all the fight draining out of him as he lowered his head a bit. This was a secret Dante had to have been sitting on for a long time, why he was so hellbent on keeping Nero from fighting Urizen...fighting his own father. The guilt and grief that simmered within his eyes made you want to cry on Nero's behalf, especially considering how much he looked up to Dante, wanted to help him. The devil hunter was his uncle, they were family. You could only imagine how much that hurt.
Dante was trying to protect him.
"I had a feeling, the first time I saw you, but I just wasn't sure," Dante replied, stepping past Nero as he spoke, recalling memories of the past and taking on a faraway look. He turned back to Nero, expression far more serious than you were used to as he added, "And then I saw how the Yamato reacted...and I was certain."
He was referring to when Nero acquired the sword-When it absorbed into his Devil arm all those years ago, back during the conflict between them and the Order of the Sword occurred in Fortuna. You remembered Nero's tales of the events, how he explained the sensation of taking the Yamato into himself and learning how to use it. But of course he could-he was Vergil's kin, the sword would have been able to recognize any trace of its owner in the white haired boy. That was the first indication of what was to come, but you and Nero were lacking in too much information to see it.
"He's your father." Dante said quietly, tone firm and absolutely resolute. Zero hesitations.
Nero's silence broke volumes, your ears easily picking up on the labored breathing coming from his lips. He was trying to hold himself together, he was trying to stand under the weight this information wrought.
You both had something to ache about tonight.
"Now he needs an ass-kicking," Dante continued, patting Nero lightly on the back, "But I can't have you go and kill your old man."
With that...Dante seemed to be done.
He walked away again, heading out of a tunnel entrance into the room out of sight with no glances behind him. Leaving you and Nero alone, both struggling to keep yourself from falling apart under the days events. You didn't know what to do, what to say, how to help. How could you aid Nero now, drowning and barely able to hold your head above the water? To try and save another who was drowning as well...surely you would only make it worse? It was the blind leading the blind, and you didn't want to cause Nero any more pain.
But...you couldn't just do nothing. Especially not when Nero turned his head, staring at where Vergil was standing before and now allowing you to see his expression. The look he wore, so vulnerable and heart-broken...it made you freeze, eyes burning with tears as you saw a little boy in him, for a moment. One who had just wanted a family, but was now forced to deal with the consequences that came with having one. He looked conflicted, confused, hurt. All the things you felt but on a completely different spectrum.
When his mouth opened, he uttered in a quiet, emotionally raw tone, "My father…?"
You moved then, unable to stop yourself.
It was probably the last thing he wanted, or needed, but the pain in his voice was just too much to bear. You limped over to him, wrapping your arms around him from behind in a hug and feeling him suck in a sharp breath at the act. There was nothing else you could do, you had nothing left. It hurt so terribly, this burden you both shared in this moment of pain. He was your friend, one of the closest you had ever had, and you couldn't stand to see him suffer too.
You deserved better than this.
"I'm sorry," You whispered, pressing your forehead to the back of his coat as you counted his shuddering breaths, "Nero...I am sorry...You will get through this. You will."
You must. One of us has to.
Nero didn't say anything, but he also didn't move away. You only felt him let out a slow breath, his head lowering as silence stretched between you both, one of his hands gripping onto your wrist and lightly squeezing. His only show of support to your actions with him not being able to speak. It was enough, just enough to let you know what was on his mind.
And it was all you could do, to stand there for a moment with your friend, offering the only comfort you could while you both tried to pick up the pieces Vergil had left in his wake.