Chapter 35
Author's notes: Sorry this one came out late, had to fix some stuff.
That moment between you and Vergil did not last long.
There was still so much more to say, to get off your chest. And his too, you would imagine. Vergil did not seem the type to lose himself in anything, but it was clear now he remembered a lot more than he let on. The son of Sparda was right, you were foolish not to realize sooner that V's memories would still remain in this man, or that Vergil himself would not know how to process them. His burst of emotion had thrown him off kilter-you could see the confusion and desperation in his expression leading up to all that transpired. The very notion was like a dagger in your heart, twisting in place after that kiss and leaving you in your own state of disbelief and agony, bleeding and bleeding without fail.
What were you supposed to do, to feel? Vergil was so buried in his own, self made walls and barriers that he seemingly didn't know how to handle emotions anymore. Even now, he did not speak after his rasped apologies to you, ones that were entirely unexpected. His head rested on your shoulder, body not moving while the last of your tears dried. So quiet-that silence spoke volumes, the Sparda radiating heat like a furnace in the continuing howl of the Void.
You didn't know what to do, what to say to him. There had been a lot of cruelty spouted on both sides, things that were both needed and not. Regret filled you at how the situation had been handled, about some of the words that had left your mouth, but...some of them were things Vergil needed to hear, things you doubted someone had told him before.
There was no doubting the connect you still had. But now it was more confusing than ever.
You were a good person before anything else, even when someone had hurt you. There were things you didn't understand, and that ignorance made it hard to excuse both V and Vergil's actions during and leading away from the Qliphoth tree. But...you knew for certain now. Knew that the very same pain V had shared with you had been just as raw in Vergil, perhaps worse considering he refused to acknowledge it. Sometimes it was easier to run from pain, to hide it under layers and layers of coping mechanisms and toxic thinking to try and act like it wasn't there. To make oneself feel strong-but it wasn't healthy, and it was clear in Vergil's case he got it into his head that becoming powerful was the answer, that feeling emotion would make him weak again. And what a shame that was, to see someone come out on the wrong side of their pain in a way that only caused more. A cycle, one that shouldn't keep repeating.
His trauma did not excuse what he did, the deaths he caused. But it did explain them.
Could you possibly help Vergil? Especially with so much blood on his hands, hatred in his heart? All the day had proven was the capacity to feel did exist in him, but it took drastic measures to reach it, ones that did not need repeating. And you doubted he wanted to do so either. But there was no way this could be left alone to fester again, both of you sitting in a strange place where neither one knew what the other wanted, what to do with these feelings left over from that time in the tree. And that...was painful. It felt both wrong and right, splitting you right down the middle and leaving a lingering sense of nervousness and anxiety. It felt...right, kissing Vergil, but it didn't feel right either.
Because you could feel V was a part of him, but those were not his lips, not his face or his body. You head was sending such mixed signals it almost made you dizzy.
"Vergil…" You spoke first, voice soft and cracking with how raw it felt. He tensed slightly at the sound, a breath of air exhaling from his lips as you continued in that same, lost tone, "You...you have V's memories...don't you?"
We are quite the pair, you and I.
He swallowed audibly, a sigh escaping those lips he had just kissed you with as he raised his head to finally look at your face. And what an expression to see on Vergil, one of tired pain, sorrow, desperation. Unable to pull himself back together after everything being so raw, and that made your own heart hurt to echo his. It was clear that he didn't know what to do either, how to handle these emotions of his.
"...There was no hiding it," He replied after some pause, running a hand through his silver hair and letting out another sigh, "Not when the memories are so...loud."
Loud?
You closed your eyes, resting a single hand where his heart resided inside his chest. It was still racing, tempo still trying to find its rhythm as you replied softly, "Is the idea of loving me...so repulsive to you?"
What were you saying? It was never that easy, never. A relationship formed on the bones of what V left behind would have stung, caked with bitterness and struggle. But even then, the words still left your lips as you continued quietly, "Had you told me from the start I could have...could have…"
I could have tried-even if the shape is different, even if he's buried inside you I would have tried to find him in you again. But how can I now, when it's clear that the idea of loving me is only a weakness in your eyes?
Vergil fell silent for another moment, followed by the feeling of his chin resting on the top of your head. Such an action felt strange from him, a person who seemingly did not like affection in any form.
"...Repulsive isn't the correct word," He finally muttered, sounding incredibly tired and unsure of himself, "I didn't know what to make of the memories I have-they feel like mine, yet also like a stranger's. His memories. I have not been made to feel in a long time-to feel is to be human, and to be human is to embrace weakness. And you brought out that humanity, and it was…"
Frightening. It frightened him-you became that weakness in his eyes.
It made you feel incredibly sad, the way he had seemingly forged himself on the ideals of feeling as little as possible. Throwing away all that made him human, trying to appeal to his demonic half like it would somehow make him strong. Enough so to never be hurt again, to steel himself against the world's cruelty brought upon at such a young age. And you hadn't been any better, spending all those years filling your own head with the idea of pain being the only thing to make you feel alive, that suffering terrible agony would justify your existence. But...there were human emotions that people needed to survive, like empathy and kindness and love. To see Vergil deprive himself of even those…
V's words echoed through your mind, coupled with the image of him staring at you with those pained, jade eyes.
There is so much I want to tell you...But I am a coward, love. A brittle, selfish man trying to cling to whatever he can in the time he has.
V had tried to warm you, hadn't he? Peppered all through your conversations, warning you away from what he knew made up Vergil's mind and consciousness. If the poet saw Vergil in such a negative light...did the son of Sparda see himself that way too?
Does he...secretly hate himself?
But the chance to think into it more never came. Before you even had the chance to raise your head, the platform you were both suspended on began to rumble, making Vergil growl and your head snap back up. The Void was starting to shift around you, pieces of debris moving and attaching together over your head and on the platform itself. There were items suspended on them, ones curious in nature-a bed with dark colored sheets, whale-oil filled, glowing lanterns. Things certainly not from the world Vergil came from, but ones from various others.
The masses formed a more coherent space area around you, full of jagged stone and mysterious carvings that you could read as a follower of this particular Deity. With it came the quickening whispers all around, hushed voices rising in their tempo as a low hum of energy made the air vibrate ominously.
He had finally decided to show his face, hadn't he?
Vergil was quicker to act than you, yanking your limp form up and into a standing position with one fluid movement-you legs felt so weak, you were lucky they didn't immediately give out. He was clearly still on edge, teeth grit and face a mask of tense anger and frustration that did not diminish.
You couldn't blame him for being mad-this whole situation was brought about by the Deity's actions, a lot more than he could even comprehend. Had the God not sent you to their dimension to begin with...Vergil would have awakened as planned, unburdened by his feelings for you and going about life how he should have. All this turmoil had you at its center, eye of the storm placed by the Deity's hands.
But...that hardly mattered right now.
Shards of black crystal swirled overhead in an ominous cloud, traveling around your form and bringing an even heavier chill to the air. You flinched when the presence sent your hair lifting a bit, eyes going wide as the cloud hovered on a piece of debris ahead and began taking on a physical shape. One of a man, tall and lean in his silhouette. This was exactly what you had hoped to avoid-this was way too close to feeling like a child, about to be scolded by their angry parent. After those four months of silence, what else could you expect to get here? Certainly not anything good, despite how little you knew about his intentions. Instinctively you took a step back, head bowing and body stiff as a board-because despite the fact that the Deity had wronged you, he had also left you alone with your powers without trying to take them.
And you would rather not stand defiant in the face of something like him.
Vergil did not like your act of submission. He took a step forward, placing himself partially in front of your body and putting an arm out as a means to hold you back. He didn't have his Yamato on him, did he? It was still sitting precariously on the ground several feet away, left abandoned when the incident happened. Vergil didn't seem hindered without it; his expression had gone cold and calculated again, eyes icy and filled with intense distrust and displeasure.
Comparatively to you, he had zero connection to such a powerful being, and akin to Dante he must have known better than to trust something so enigmatic in nature. One who stood between all things, a creature of neither good nor evil. He truly was like his brother in this case, steadfast with no fear in those icy blue eyes, the wind disturbing his slicked back hair only slightly and seemingly like a pillar of strength in the situation grasping you both.
But you knew better. He was still uncertain of himself.
He watched as the Deity finally took form, steadfast and muscles tensed like a cobra ready to strike at any time. You hated how fearful facing the god made you feel, waiting with baited breath for him to take that strange image you were always used to seeing-one of mystery, a blank slate of memories that never stayed consistent. How could you read a man when your head could never comprehend his face? That alone should have told you not to trust the God from the beginning, the very fact that he never seemed to allow your eyes to take in his whole image. The black crystal was clustering into his shape, merging together like water and hardening itself.
But...something was different this time. Slower.
You and Vergil watched his body start to materialize, starting with the boots all the way up to the black hair on his head. Like the shimmering of glass, his body took shape in a wave of crystal as he-wait.
His hair. His hair was black.
Your eyes opened wider in shock, realizing that for once in your years of serving him that you had remembered his hair color without confusion. It was visible, it wasn't scattered and confusing-You were seeing him, and your brain was not fuzzing it out. No more static, no more warping, no more confusion on his description.
Your heart started to pound faster and faster, shock and confusion entering the chorus of emotions spinning around your skull, unable to tear your eyes away as each part of him came into existence, all the way down to the face you had seen so many times without truly gazing upon it-and that alone was enough to tell you how unprepared you were for this situation, how unpredictable the Deity's intentions were. To show you this now, after so many years of holding it back-To truly see him for once, unfiltered and clear as the sky on a summer day...it was unbelievable, and it made your legs feel like they were about to fold under you.
You were seeing the God, all of him without filter.
The Deity was smiling lightly when he finally took shape, black eyes meeting yours over Vergil's shoulder. His clothing was older in design, high-collared and dark grey from his coat to the slacks on his legs. Being able to make out his face felt odd, wrong in a way. All these years of staring at something you could never comprehend, to now gaze upon him with clear eyes was...unsettling. Even more so when he looked almost normal, human, the black eyes and overwhelming presence the only indication that something was amiss.
The god was handsome, with high cheekbones and tired eyes, like he hadn't tasted sleep in all his years of existence. Standing poised, hands clasped behind his back and legs slightly parted in a stance that spoke of confidence, of a man who had his pieces laid out on the table and ready to fall into place. That expression he wore sent a twinge of nervousness down your spine, like staring at a smug cat finally about to get his cream.
What is he planning?
Why did he bring us here?
What can we do?
"It has been quite some time, has it not?" The Deity said in low greeting, slowly tipping his head to one side and leveling his gaze on you, "Y/N. I have missed you, child of mine."
Cue your immediate panic, mouth half opening but no words coming out. What were you supposed to say to him after all this time? Nothing could come out, none of it. Anger, betrayal, fear. There were so many emotions he stirred, which could stick?
Luckily, you had time to think on it. Vergil spoke before you, his tone whipping out sharply like a javelin as he pushed you further back.
"What is the meaning of this?" His eyes did not waver, even under the scrutiny of a God. That black gaze slowly slid over to him instead, that amusement not fading even when Vergil continued in a low growl, "State your business and be done with it-we aren't here to indulge in your games."
The Deity gave no indication of anger, merely shifting lightly on his feet and taking a few measured steps around where you and Vergil stood-circling like a predator stalking prey.
Bad bad bad. Don't look at him like that-with so much interest.
"You are Vergil, son of Sparda and Eva," He remarked, trailing his dark vision over the man in question with a bit of a smirk on his lips. One step, then another. Vergil turned with him, refusing to remove his eyes from the God and shifting you with him, "A power hungry half-breed who has caused the death of countless in his pursuit of self-gain. To wallow in self-pity so deep, you have surely began to drown."
Vergil's shoulder's visibly tensed at his words, brow furrowing in a sharp look of annoyance. You didn't like the Deity's words either, like the Deity had some sort of malice against the son of Sparda. Vergil may have wronged you, but...there was no trust left for the Deity, not after all that had transpired between you both. You didn't want him anywhere near the half-demon, and whatever he had planned was not to pass.
"Don't waste my time with such useless prattle. I'm not here to be judged by the likes of you." Vergil stated flatly, unimpressed by the God's calmly-spoken statements. His words earned him a raised brow, that poised smile twitching only slightly with...impatience? Anger? There was no way to be sure, not with how little you knew of the Deity's facial expressions.
Vergil definitely wasn't making things better by giving so much attitude. You wished he wasn't like Dante, but the two were unfortunately similar-what did he serve to gain by insulting a higher being when they were stuck in his domain?
It spelled out a bad situation, one that you would not be able to save him from.
Do something. Anything.
You stepped out from behind Vergil, forcing your hands to stop shaking and making the God's eyes shift back to you. They immediately lightened with interest, that smile turning into something akin to a grin, one that was almost affectionate. Like...he expected this of you.
Remain steadfast, without fear.
"No more games," You said softly, finding it hard to keep your voice as strong and calm as you wanted it to be. It had been so long since you addressed the creature before you, so long since you stood in this place and begged for anything. You thought it was beyond you, a time long past in your life, but...drastic measures had to be taken now, especially with the son of Sparda dragged into it, "Please. This does not involve him. If you want to speak to me, if you wish to punish me, just let Vergil leave and be done with it. I beg this of you."
Please. Don't bring anymore interference to his life. I've done enough damage already.
Vergil let out a sharp hiss at your declaration, anger flashing in his eyes as he started to protest, "You will so no such thing…!"
His concern was still surprising, especially when it was that vehement. But...as it stood, he was the only thing that remained from the poet you loved, as scattered and unrecognizable as he seemed. You would be damned before letting anything happen to him, no matter how cruel the man had been to you. It would hurt, it would be frightening, but it was a risk you were willing to take if it meant preserving the last bit of V that was left behind. He was a bastard, but...this was all you could do, and it was your interference that caused all the madness to begin with.
But the Deity had other plans in mind, ones that you did not expect.
He tilted his head again, slowly raising a hand in your direction and making you flinch despite how slow the motion was. His expression was still that impassive smile, one that you could not read at all and those black eyes so deep you felt like they were trying to drown you. For a moment...was that hesitation that flickered there in the inky blackness? A worry, or maybe disappointment? Like he was feeling a bit regretful about something he had done, or was about to do.
All that he does, The Void whispered in your ear, startling you thoroughly and making your shoulders jolt, He does for you. Never doubt how blessed you are to having the graces of the black-eyed God.
What? What the hell did that mean?
"Contrary, my child," The God in question said softly, tone so calm and tranquil it scared you-it still managed to cut Vergil off despite how quiet it was. And that alone was enough to make you freeze in place, "You are only one providing interruptions-haven't I taught you not to speak out of turn?"
You had made a mistake.
The moment his fingers twitched agony erupted in all of your limbs, making your back bow and tendrils crack out of your from. Cold, burning, freezing all at once, causing you to fall to your knees and sealing a silent scream in your throat. It hurts it hurts it hurts-- it was akin to how it felt when the Foresight rebelled against you, but somehow worse. The tendrils wrapped around your arms and legs, snaking their way to your waist and throat and holding you down through the thrashing and struggling. It all happened so fast, your brain blanked out, unable to comprehend that level of suffering all at once and panicking now that Vergil was no longer in your field of view. What had you done? Not like this, please don't subdue me again, not like that time in the tree. Please don't make me relive that again.
Why? Why was the God doing this to you, after all you had done to serve him? Tears stung your eyes, which were now turning black with your level of panic and stinging terribly with the pain.
And worse-Before you could scrape any pleas from your clenched throat, each sense disappeared one by one. Hearing, seeing, touch. You went from thrashing in agony to absolutely limp, now floating in a sea of nothingness with no idea what had happened. To have all of one's senses ripped away, to have no control at all...it was maddening, bringing forth tears that you could no longer feel from your eyes.
This is worse-this is worse!
I'd rather the pain.
I'd rather suffer than feel nothing.
Every sense suddenly cut out, but your consciousness remained. Unable to see, hear, or feel anything with your mind screaming in terror and disbelief. Pain was one thing, to be suspended in absolute darkness with your consciousness still wide awake was another. Was he going to erase your memories? How long would you be subdued? There was no room to struggle, to scream, to cry. All that you could do was try to control your panicking thoughts, mentally begging the being to release you and promising submission if he would just let Vergil go. Doubts aside, inconsistencies too, you couldn't afford taking any chances based on useless theorizing anymore. You were trapped, leaving Vergil at the whims of a God who had zero predictability.
And that was what frightened you most of all.
(Vergil POV)
What had the God done to you?
Vergil was forced to watch in shock and horror was your body collapsed, tendrils snapping into the ground and lifting you up on a pillar of black crystal. He tried to reach out and catch you when you fell, but the tendrils lashed out and slashed at his jacket, knocking him away while your mouth opened in a silent scream. You went absolutely slack as soon as the crystal formed around your arms, waist, and legs while the God watched on with a calm expression, smile fading a bit into something a little more reserved. What had he done? What had he fucking done to you? Vergil scrambled back up, huffing and panting as he took in your face. Eyes black now, wide open with shock and face now blank-there was no movement from your body, no indication that you were even alive.
And that was enough to send him spiraling back into that dark place, one on the very edge of rage.
No no no! The voice cried, banging on his consciousness like fists on steel doors, unrelenting, Do something! DO SOMETHING!
He bolted back to your side, hands grasping your prone face in his fingers with a sense of desperation that still startled him. Your lips were parted, shallow breaths leaving them-lips he had kissed just moments ago. They had kissed you, the very knowledge of it was still shocking, jarring, like another life had occurred in a moment. He and the voice inside had aligned at your callous words, losing control in a snap of heated tension and broken barriers. Your reaction had been daggers in his heart-both hearts. It was painfully clear who that voice was, Vergil had just been too stubborn to accept it. Loud, arrogant, furious and so in love with you...it would make sense that the poet would remain after how strong you made him, after all.
V was still here.
He was appalled by the state of you, filled with worry and despair as they both watched whale oil start to drip from your eyes like tears. And worse, there was nothing he could do to help you-Vergil knew that, knew trying was pointless. The God had you enveloped in crystal like his fist, gripping you in a tight and infallible vise. Vergil lifted his cold, panicked eyes from you to stare down the being, feeling his anger coil tighter and prepare itself to snap. The closest thing Vergil had ever fought to a god had been Mundus, a battle that had ended in failure of the worst kind. The defeat was still bitter on his tongue, a harsh reminder of his past mistakes that would never leave. But this treatment of you was unacceptable-you were not a plaything, not a pawn for him to manipulate as he pleased.
Vergil contemplated making a mad dash for the Yamato, despite how ineffective he knew it would be. This was the God's domain, his place of power. He might as well be painfully human in the Void.
The God seemed to sense his thoughts, clicking his tongue lightly and teleporting over to the sword in question. As Vegril watched with wide eyes, he plucked the blade up with delicate fingers, earning an immediate reaction. The blade hissed with steam, rising up from the god's hands as the energy within burned and fought back against the foreign holder. There was no change from him, not even a hint of pain in those black eyes of his as he turned to face Vergil once more.
"Your weapon is filled with your father's essence," He remarked, tilting that black gaze over to Vergil as he slowly walked closer, "His energy never did agree with mine."
"What have you done to her?!" Vergil hissed, ignoring the man's comments entirely and hating how his pale, disgusting hands were on the Yamato. This was all going absolutely wrong, he didn't know what to do to save you. Akin to that day all those months ago, when you had collapsed in the apartment bathroom after healing V to the best of your capabilities-he was left stricken, staring at you in a state of panic and horror with his hands practically tied behind his back.
Helpless. We are helpless as always, just like when we were young.
The Deity smiled, like Vergil's response somehow pleased him. After weighing the sword a few more seconds, he tossed it back to the Sparda quite unceremoniously. Vergil caught it with deft fingers, immediately whipping it out to point it at the unfazed creature like his threats actually held any weight.
They didn't, of course.
"Worry not," He said calmly, teleporting over to a nearby piece of debris and sitting down on it in a leisurely fashion, like they were two friends discussing the weather, "I have merely subdued her for the time being-she can neither see nor hear us, which leaves time to discuss a proposition I have for you."
Proposition?
The Deity smiled, immediately seeing Vergil's expression of absolute disgust and mistrust. He knew damn well making any sort of deal with a God was a bad idea, especially a god like this. A trickster, a player of games and manipulator of human souls. There was no doubt he had ill intentions in mind, especially with a coy expression like that. He chuckled, splaying his arms out wide as he met Vergil's dark gaze with an equally unwavering one of his own-because he knew, it in the end, he had the Sparda in a bind, right where he wanted him. Cornered with no way out, torn between his nature and doing whatever it would take to defend you from this creature.
And being cornered was something he did not like.
"No need to look so crass," He hummed, seeming positively amused by the whole situation as he continued, "I will give you the gift of knowing my name-my true name, and I will propose to you a challenge you would be reluctant to refuse."
A challenge that he had no choice but to accept.
Vergil curled his lip, putting himself in front of your poised form and raising the sword again, "And what is the alternative if I refuse?"
The black-eyed bastard tilted his head to one side, lips still curved in that bemused smile as he lowered his arms back down and rested his hands on his lap.
"It seems to me that you already hope to refuse," He observed, standing up again and taking a few slow, measured steps toward the volatile half demon. The Yamato was of no consequence to him, clearly, "You should hear what I have to offer first before you jump to such conclusions, son of Sparda."
"I am no fool, I know better than to make deals with Gods like you," Vergil immediately snapped in reply, brow furrowed in fury as he held the Deity's patient gaze, "But you might as well tell me your name, so I'll know what to write on your grave."
Cocky, you are too cocky-The voice in his head was frantic, filled with panic and anger as Vergil stared down the calm god--He will kill you, there is no chance of beating this man…!
That only made the Deity smile, like he could somehow sense the turmoil rolling around in the other man's head. Vergil didn't appreciate how confident he was, nor did he like the stakes at play. If the God chose to trap him in the Void for a period of time, how could he hope to get out? If the being so decided it, he could disappear and leave him to wander alone for a century, maybe longer. Would he age in a place like this? Though he could stay in Sin Devil Trigger form as long as possible, but that would not hold for long. There was too much stacked against him, and the reality of it put a bitter taste in his mouth.
To submit was something he hated above all things, but...He looked back at your face, still glassy-eyed and staring up at the non-existent sky. He could sense your fear and panic when all this happened, could feel you reaching out for him when you were forced down into submission. He couldn't leave you behind, not again, not after everything you both had been through. He had a duty to see this through, and there would be no leaving the Void without you in his arms.
Yes, The voice-no, V-sounded pleased in his head, tone low and filled with adoration as he saw you through Vergil's eyes, No more hurting her, not again. Please...I know it is hard to swallow your pride, but we must try...she would do the same for you.
For once...they were both in alignment.
"I see you've made your choice," The Deity observed, making Vergil dart his gaze back to the black-eyed bastard as he clasped his hands behind his back again. There was a smug air about him, a pleased one. He should have been spouting peacock feathers with a face like that, "There is some common sense in your head after all."
Dont. Don't reply to that-he isn't worthy of it.
Vergil grit his teeth, quite literally swallowing his pride and biting down on whatever retort was trying to make its way past his lips. If he was to be forced against the wall, he would play the Deity's games, consequences be damned. Because the sooner he won, the sooner he could get you home to safety.
And from there...well. He was sure V would come up with something.
"Your name." Vergil said shortly, tone clipped and anger as he sheathed the Yamato once more. He was tired of this prattle, and wanted to get on to this deal the being apparently wanted to make.
The God let out a low hum, turning away to look out at the Void and all its enigmatic glories as they floated by. A whale carcass, what looked to be a metal carriage, a marble statue. Like a world had shattered to pieces and scattered itself in the vast emptiness, but none of it felt familiar to his own world. What could have birthed a place like this, or worse, a creature like the nameless one before him? How did people come to worship a god who aligned himself with nothing but the cold and the dark? He remembered your pain, the nightmares that plagued you at night to make you relive the traumas of your past. A soft thing, one who was desperately kind and filled with wanting-that made it very obvious, did it not?
This man took advantage of those who had no other way out, in the deepest pits of despair. He sensed their longing, their pain, and turned it into his power.
"I have been called many names," The black eyed bastard finally replied, stepping onto a floating piece of debris so he could run his hand over the runes written there. They looked ancient, unfamiliar, not in any language Vergil recognized, "The men of the Abbey call me the Devil, others call me the mighty Leviathan."
He turned, leveling the Sparda with his deep, endless gaze as that smirk curved his lips once more.
"You may call me…The Outsider."
Outsider? Vergil gripped the handle of his Yamato, feeling even more unnerved when he realized how unfamiliar he was with this being. Of all the tomes and legends he had read, not one had mentioned a creature like this one...had they? He was racking his brain, trying to remember any lines of dialog that matched the Outsider's description, or any of his names. Only one even remotely close came to mind, one he read in a library in his brief passing through an abandoned city.
He hadn't paid it much attention due to it not mentioning Sparda in the slightest, but the words on the yellow-stained page had seemingly stuck with him for a while now, hidden in his subconscious. Words depicting a traveler that jumped through the dark, one who seemingly had mysterious powers from a Leviathan who lived in the space between spaces. A tired man, serving a God who no one understood and disappearing just as fast.
Those who bear his mark earn his power.
He could remember a marking on you, right over your hip bone on the right side. A black mark, almost runic in nature-that had been his, hadn't it?
"Outsider," Vergil growled, patience waning faster if it wasn't already gone, "State your business or be done with it."
That made the God chuckle, hopping down from the debris where he hovered lightly in air, sitting on nothing and crossing his legs, "You are a man seeking power, are you not?" He tipped his head to the side, regarding Vergil with an unreadable gaze and that flat smile as he continued, "If there is anything I can provide you, it is such a thing-I can give you a prize of your choosing, make you as strong as Sparda himself if you can pass the trials I have laid out for you."
Vergil didn't like the sound of this. When things seemed too good to be true, they generally were. But that deep, aching, yearning part of him that wanted to be strong, wanted to be past the defeat always plaguing him…
Don't, V whispered, voice pleading and soft, Please-this is not what she wants.
He knew that. He did. But what more could be done now? A prize of his choosing, right?
What the God could provide was limitless, full of opportunity he didn't otherwise have. Vergil found his eyes sliding over to you again, still immobilized on the pillar of crystal with no idea what was happening between them. There were cards that needed to be played here, and now the game was his to manipulate as he saw fit-not just for him, but for you as well.
Vergil felt strange...for once in his life, he felt like there was something beyond power to gain, something that would no longer burden you both. Your pain was not lost on him, a constant source of guilt that made his entire heart and being ache terribly. Every memory, every heartbeat, every touch...he was never deserving of you, never. You were made of good things, kindness and light compared to the shadow he had always lived in. How long had he lived only thinking for himself, full of selfish desires and that hunger for power? And all that had come from it was defeat, anger, pain, trauma. You had been the only light in his life for such a long time, showing his human half a love that had strengthened him. He had spat in the face of that kindness, breaking you down to nothing and hurting you in the worst possible way. Could someone such as him ever truly make you happy, especially with the things about himself he could not change.
He could never be vulnerable with you as V could. Never open himself to affection, soothe you when needed, be soft and gentle with your heart that was already broken.
But something still existed that could.
Vergil…?
If I'm going to do right by someone, for once in my life...it has to be her. Her and no one else.
"I'm listening."
The Outsider chuckled, teleporting down to stand in front of Vergil again and crossing his arms over his chest. This was exactly what the God wanted to hear-there was a hint of glee in those black eyes of his, as if he sensed the very line of thought Vergil possessed.
"Three trials, to see if you are truly strong enough to handle what power I can give you," He stated, smile fading a bit to something a bit more serious and cold as he met Vergil's eyes, "If you should succeed, I will give you whatever it is you desire. But should you succumb to my trials…"
There will be punishment. There was no missing the implications in his tone.
"...So be it," Vergil replied with a slow breath, resigning himself to whatever fate the God had planned, "What will the punishment be if I should fail?"
We cannot afford to fail, V muttered, sounding anxious and annoyed with all that was laid out before them, Not now, not here.
The Outsider took a step closer to Vergil, his black-eyed stare tilting to the side so he could gaze at your stricken form. There was something akin to sadness in his eyes, almost...fatherly when he stared at your face and reached out a hand to touch you. Vergil wasn't having that, grabbing the god's wrist and halting him in place. Touching him was like asking for frostbite, but he couldn't care less-there would be no approaching your form with those cold hands, not now, not ever. The Outsider was a source of your trauma and pain, so the son of Sparda was already uneasy about all the God's actions in regards to you.
The Outsider clicked his tongue at Vergil's firm intervention, pulling his arm back with the smirk replacing the look on his face.
"If you should fail," He finally continued, keeping his stare on your blank face, "She will return to the Void from whence she came, memory erased so I can send her along on a new task without distraction. And you," He tilted his gaze back, expression turning cold as he hissed, "Will be plunged into the Void, where you will suffer for every crime you have committed in your miserable existence."
What?!
No no no.
He can't take her, can't erase her! He-
"Why her?!" Vergil protested, mind aligning with V again and taking on a hint of desperation, "Why punish her for my failings? She has a home in Fortuna, allow her to return to it and do what you will with me…!"
The Outsider clicked his tongue, shrugging off Vergil's hand when it tried to grab his shoulder to hold him still, "She is not without fault-those trials will be accompanied by her, so you'll do your best not to fail, won't you?"
God damn it. God DAMN It.
If he couldn't handle what the deity had in mind, you would be another person he could not protect, doomed to continue this endless cycle of pain that had consumed your life for so long. All the happiness you found, the family, the hope...all destroyed in an instant and leaving you back in that mindset you had in the beginning. He may have been deserving of punishment, but you...all that you had done was become a victim to the whims of others, and that was not fair. Not to you, not to the ones who loved you in Fortuna. He could accept his fate-he had spent time trapped before, in the body of Nelo Angelo and in hell. Blood was on his hands, all the humans lost in the city from his mistake of the Qliphoth tree.
The guilt from his long life of selfish actions had finally caught up with him-of fate decided he belonged in the darkness and cold for his foolish mistakes...then so be it.
He could swallow his own trauma and accept his fate. But yours...what else could he do? There was no refusing, and no way out. These were the whims of a God, one who could not and would not be challenged in his own domain. Vergil had to bite his tongue and steel himself to take on whatever this creature had planned. As long as he had the sword, he could fight until he was bleeding on the ground.
A son of Sparda would be damned before they bowed in submission to a being like this.
"So be it." He replied, squeezing the hilt of the Yamato so hard his knuckles turned white and meeting the Outsider's endless eyes. The resolve there seemed to please a God, earning Vergil a dark smile that spoke volumes of what was in store for him.
"Good luck, Vergil Sparda," He replied in a low tone, his eyes flickering over to you as his body started to turn in to black crystal again, "I pray to the Void that, for her sake, you succeed in what I have in store for you."
With that, he was gone. Disappearing into nothingness and leaving a heavy silence in his wake.