Vergil
He was annoyed and surprised and he didn't like the sensation of either emotion as they mingled together. The feeling of uncertainty they gave him was disconcerting, as uncertainty was not an emotion he could afford right now. The girl had been quiet for the most part of the ride, something he hadn't been counting on, given her curious nature. No doubt, after Nallius returned it would become an all or nothing game of keeps. He couldn't afford to play that kind of deadly game, not yet, there was a time and place for everything. Latter rather than soon was preferable if his hand was to be forced.
So that black bitch Vali wanted him or his head, did she? Despite his ire, she would get what she wanted, assuming one was still attached to the other. He'd done to Lauren what was needed, for now. He had to go back, Vali would continue send her lackeys until either he or Lauren were dead. Meaning Lauren wouldn't be safe on her own. Nor would she be safe in hell. In any case, he doubted she could handle the things that lived in hell. Not even with what the Order had exposed her to. Lauren was still human, after all. She was useless to him if she took leave of her sanity.
…Dante…She could always learn how to better fight demons, hell knew her skills were somewhat lacking. It would keep her busy enough for the time being. Then she was going to learn how to control that aura of hers. It was nearly impossible to be this close and not have her scent mingling with every breath. He'd be a fool to assume she would know what to do in hell simply because she had been around the Order during her younger life. Or that what she carried within her would in some way help the situation. Stupid girl…he was starting to wonder if she wasn't completely useless for the time being.
Vergil pushed the bike faster, weaving around the turns and other vehicles. The girl tightened her grip, he could feel her hands lock around his waist and her small body pulled up against his back. He could even feel her shivering vaguely, her head resting slightly below his left shoulder. She had better not be falling asleep or he'd drop her here and let her walk home. Stupid, pain in the ass girl….he'd really broken her arm that easily?
Lauren
We pulled up to the front of a shop on the wrong side of the tracks latter that after noon. Finally back in the city where I belong. Hell, the crime in this neighbor hood was the worse in the entire city. And we were ten blocks from my house, imagine that. The place we stopped at was a two story building named 'Devil Never Cry.' The outside had an old school feel to it. What in hell? Where had Vergil dragged me to now? Hopefully it wasn't a demonic bar or something.
"Let's go," Vergil put the kickstand down and got off the bike. He casually walked up to the front door and let himself in. Mr. conversation with the details. What is this place?
"Well look who decided to show up," a voice greeted us quietly. It was Trish, sitting on a desk top, painting her nails. I would almost go as far as to say she'd been waiting for us. She was dressed in low rise jeans and a lace up corset top that was very Hot Topic. Now there's a fashion statement I could relate to, it's all about having the kick ass look sometimes, you know? She studied me with her clear sky blue eyes. "Nice to see you again Lor." Why did she look so surprised?
"Hi, Trish," I replied blanking, blinking. What was Trish doing here? Wait a minute… "You live here?" She smiled, her eyes twinkling, and nodded, blowing on her nails. She was painting them blood red. That's when I noticed, over her should, demon heads, literally speared into the far wall. Whoa. I didn't even know that many different kinds of lower class demons existed… talk about unusual interior decorating.
"You recognize some of them?" She asked, glancing to the wall over her shoulder.
"Just a few," I replied faintly. Jesus...well I guess I know what Dante and Trish do for a living. Explained why they were always lugging around huge ass swords of doom, especially if Dnate and Trish were professional demon slayers. Huh…they'd be the second pair of demon slayers I'd ever known.
"You're back? You look like an anorexic cheerleader," Lucia was coming down from the second story into the room. Well, I'm glad she noticed I'd lost weight while being tortured and malnourished at Silent Hill. What a bitch. I snorted and rolled my eyes. I really don't want to listen to her shoot her mouth off today. I'm getting sick of the verbal abuse.
"Would you like something to eat?" Trish asked as she took my messenger bag and threw it on the big wooden desk in the center of the room. Trish looked over my head to Vergil, "Dante's out back." Without a word, Vergil pushed past us, heading to where ever Dante was. A dollar said he was still pissed that I won the bet.
"You have food?" I asked faintly. My stomach growled. I don't know why, but I so hungry now. I could a pig whole and squealing. I usually don't eat like this, but lately it seems I've been shoving every scape of food I could get my hands on into my pie hole. Trish chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't we? Come, let's get you something to eat." Trish is officially my hero. I need to get her a pin on button or something. I followed her into the worn looking kitchen.
"Here," Trish handed me a bucket of left over KFC after rummaging around the fridge for a minute or so. Oh there's a biscuit left over….sweet bun goodness…and chicken. "Table's over there. Take as much time as you need, Lor," Trish nodded to me. I'm not even listening to her, I'm already up to my ears in greasy chicken bones. Still a part of me wonders how much Dante told her about Silent Hill and whether she's being kind to me because of that. I don't want her pity. I'm too hungry for it.
Trish and Lucia
"Can you believe her aura?" Lucia asked Trish. She was waiting for Trish, sitting on the stairs that led to the second story, her face a little paler than it had been a moment before. "That's not normal. No human should have an aura like that." Trish knew what she was speaking about, and she had been warned about it before hand by Dante. Still, the feel of it had put her nerves on end, not that she'd admit it. Especially not to Lucia.
"She seems normal enough, aura aside. I don't think Vergil would've brought her here if she was a threat." Trish hung Lor's bag on the coat hanger next to Dante's jacket. It smelled like…saltwater? And sand? …huh, so that's what the cause of it was…
"You don't?" Lucia stared at Trish. "You seriously think he even cares how she acts? You know he's just using her."
"Is he?" Trish tipped her head back and leaned on Dante's desk. "Perhaps, maybe not." She thought about the smelly bag she had just hung up. "Either way, if she was a threat, he'd have killed her himself by now." Lucia looked to her, not surprised but silently willing Trish to finish her thoughts. Trish stared back with a steady gaze. "Vergil values his life and his plans and little else," she shrugged. "If she was a threat to either him or his plans he would either kill her or contain her somehow. As it is, he seems to want to contain her."
"So I've noticed," Lucia muttered. She stood up, sighing. "You'd better call that woman and the angel. They'll want to know she's back and alright."
"I know," Trish muttered. The woman had been calling every day for news of Lor since Dante had returned from Silent Hill. Her concern was well placed, but quite frankly, the woman had started annoying the hell out of Trish by day two. If anything, it was her concern that bothered Trish more than anything, as odd as that was. Lor was a big girl, she didn't need to hold onto anyone's hand to get by, she'd proven as much simply by surviving the Order. This woman was so worrying over someone who was obviously capable of taking care of themselves…it was ridiculous. Sighing, Trish reached for the phone. It would be best to get this over with sooner rather than latter.
Phone Conversation
"Hello?"
"She's back."
"Wha? Lor? She's back? Are you sure?"
"I would hope so. She's eating chicken in my kitchen."
"Oh, I'll be right over. Please don't let her leave until I get there. I have a few questions to ask her."
"I don't think she's going anywhere," the response came. Tiffany quietly stared at the phone in her hands, the line had gone dead.
"Who was it?" Josh asked, leaning in the kitchen doorway.
"That woman, Trish. She said Lor's back. Alive."
"You thought Dante lied?" Josh asked mildly surprised.
"He's a demon," Tiffany replied darkly. "She's a demon, and his brother is a demon."
"They're half demons. They're not the reason the Order took Lor, Tiffany," Josh began patiently. "We've been over this. Dante and Trish wouldn't harm Lor."
"That's not what I'm worried about," Tiffany interrupted.
"Then what are you worried about?"
"The Order," Tiffany replied quietly, a hand on her slightly bulging stomach. Her face was drawn in thought and worry. Josh smiled slightly at the sight of his wife. She wasn't one to trust easily. Neither was Lor for that matter. It was a quality that had made getting to know both of them extremely difficult at first, but then, he'd had his own secrets didn't he? Most fallens didn't bother with the humans they were exiled with, save as servants. Josh however, had discarded any false notions of the traditional and archaic role of humans in times past. And he was better off for it.
"You're worried about what the Order did to Lor." It wasn't a question.
"We'll see," Tiffany replied. It would be better to burn Lor alive then to let her believe what the Order had force fed her for the better part of two months. With the advanced development of her pregnancy, she couldn't risk Lor hurting her child. As much as it would kill her to harm her sister, Tiffany wouldn't allow her past to destroy her future.
