It was around 9PM when Nero was standing in the rainy streets of Redgrave City. It splashed hard against the ground. The storm had become so abundant that the road became a small lake, even the sidewalk going up to the knees. Kyrie snivelled, letting out a huge sneeze with shaken shoulders. Without any hesitation, Nero took off his jacket and handed it to Kyrie, placing the hood gently over her crimson scalp. "Thank you." She said in a soft voice, gifting him with a bright smile. Nero smirked and turned to the door, switching quickly to anger.
"Dante!" He shouted, his voice so loud it carried through the storm. He smashed his hands against the door, hoping that someone would open up. No one.
"Hey, jackass!" Nico yelled. She was in the van with the window rolled down. Rain was pouring inside, but she didn't seem to care. "You gonna keep knockin' til that door comes down?!" She was smoking a cigarette. Nero could only imagine the smell. Even thinking about it from this distance made him cringe, his teeth clenched tightly with a deep furrowing of his white brows.
"Nico has a point, Nero." Kyrie said. "You've been knocking on their door for five minutes now, maybe he just isn't here."
"Where the hell is that bastard?!" Nero shouted once more, banging his fist on the door. "Open up, Dante!" Kyrie recoiled from his sudden burst of anger. She yelped, standing back. Nero pivoted, believing for a moment that danger had arrived, and before you knew it he had his hand on the grip of Red Queen. It only took a moment for him to figure out that he was the reason for her sudden movement.
"Sorry." He sighed, lowering his head. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lovingly embraced him into her arms, grazing his cheek with a soft kiss. "It's OK, I know how important this is to you."
"Kyrie..."
"Hey!" Nico said, fumbling for her lighter. "You two gon' keep making eyes out here in the rain or get back in here?"
"Come on, maybe tomorrow." Kyrie said, guiding Nero with her hand. He took one last look at the doors, hoping then and there that they would open up with a crummy one liner from Dante, ensuing an argument about common courtesy to guests at your door, especially family. Family. It was weird to say that, much less think it. It had only been a few months since the incident in Red Grave, a town still rebuilding day by day. That fateful day, Nero's lineage changed forever. His uncle... Dante, and father... Vergil.
Vergil. He wondered, at a time like this, where the hell that deadbeat was. Nero didn't like thinking too hard about his father, something Vergil would share. Even after these past few months, it was still so surreal. Most guys who don't have runaway dads don't meet them, very less have demonic heritage. On top of that he was probably the only person to stop his demon uncle and father from trying to kill each other too. What a story that was. Had he not known what he did before about the world he might've chalked the whole thing up to a bad dream.
The only person he knew to be a father figure was Credo, but even then he saw him more like an old friend. Dante was Dante, always felt like more of an uncle than a father. Still, he never imagined someone like Vergil to be his father. To describe how he felt about him was a task far too out of Nero's range, even for someone like him. It wasn't that he was willing to wear his heart on his sleeve, but his heart wasn't giving him a straight answer.
He didn't like his father, that was clear, but beyond that was unknown territory. Still, despite how he perceived Vergil, he owed his kindness to Dante, which is why today of all days was so important.
"We came all the way for this..." They stepped down the stairs, moving from under the overhang and out into the rain. Nero hoped as he reached the bottom step that the door would swing open. It didnt.
Nero thrashed the van's door open and gestured with a hand for Kyrie to step inside. He hopped in and closed it quickly. The couple was completely soaked. "Next time you open it like that you're chipping in for insurance!" Nico shouted, waving her arms around in a fury towards his wreckless actions. The young devil hunter rudely waved her off. He couldn't care less about her stinking van right now. Speaking of stinking, it reeked.
"Could you not do that in here?" He demanded, already feeling the beginning stages of a migraine.
"I got enough water in her already." She huffed. "Less you want to swim the way home you can deal with it." She reached into her seat and tossed a small, raggedy pink towel back at them.
Kyrie caught it. She ran her fingers through the fabric. It was soft, reminding her of freshly sheered lamb wool. "Thank you." She said, getting a thumbs up from Nico in response. The two dried themselves off, taking turns rubbing it through each other's scalp. The rear view mirror gave a full show of the fluff. Nico nearly belched, sticking her tongue out in disgust. Too sensitive for her style. The ignition was switched on and she began to drive through Redgrave. There fortunately wasn't much traffic. It was late at night on a terrible storm. As they passed by she occasionally saw glances through the side window of construction. Buildings in disarray, closed off streets, bridges out for who knows how long. There were probably as many projects as there were people left in the city, many of them not anywhere near completion. Anyone who worked in construction would have a field day. Suits on the other hand, they would be scrambling to find the money, which is more than you could count, to repair the city.
That "White Tree" incident as most people refer it to, happened as recently as six months ago. It appeared out of nowhere, raised from the ground and unleashing demons of all kind into the city. Many lost their lives, and many more their livelihood, all because of a family legacy. She had sympathy for those who had everything taken from them. All the years spent working to get a house, taken away. Fortunately, there were relief shelters being set up by the government to supply the unlucky to have a roof over their head, but she had heard it was overcrowded and no paradise.
Officials didn't know what exactly to say about the incident. They couldn't say it was scientific. How the hell was someone going to chalk that up to an experiment gone wrong? The only thing that could be done was for them to shrug their shoulders. They didn't have answers. At least, not yet. Researchers scowered ground zero day and night trying to come up with an explanation the public called for. Their current hypothesis was that deep beneath the surface of the Earth, there were entire species of subterranean animals and plants that had recently found their way up to land for the first time ever. It's un estimated how long these creatures have existed and has opened an entirely new subset of studies for scientists all around. Geologists, biologists, and physicists were having a field day. Such an incident may soon lead to breaking scientific discoveries.
However, little did they know that this was nothing of science. Magic, rather. The dark scary kind. Most people did not know about demons or the like. Those who did certainly were not any high ranking officials within any legislative government. The discussion of magic and demons was usually left when choosing to study anthropology or on the back end of the internet posted on some weird man's blog. Most of the people on Earth would have lived and died never knowing there were two worlds. Even fewer people would know a demon.
"Pull over by the park." Nero said. He was in the front with Nico now, dried off and staring out the window towards the ever bleeding storm.
"I thought we were going home." Kyrie interjected.
"Ain't gonna do us much if we drive in this rain." Nico replied. "Besides, y'all had me driving around all day. Best you can offer me is some sleep."
"We'll check back tomorrow before leaving." Nero continued, reaching for a blanket on the dashboard. Before he could wrap his fingers around it the cloth was snatched up by Nico.
"Hey!" Nero shouted. "I think you've got something I want."
"What you need is a blanket." Nico said. "What you want is this one - and that's mine." Nero tried reaching for it but it was out of his reach, the woman slipping it under her butt.
"Fine." Nero sighed, getting to his feet.
"There's one in the back there, third cabinet to the left on the bottom." She said, pointing to the assortment of unorganized drawers. Kyrie found it quickly, gently moving aside all the junk left by Nico into the trash bin. The couple started to get settled in on the futon, snuggling close to each other's faces, their cheeks rubbing against the other.
"Nighty-night lovebirds." The lights went out. The trio slept soundly in the van amongst the storm, drifting away to marvellous lands of dreams.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Nero steadily awoke, leaping out of bed with his red queen drawn in arm. He glanced around, hastily searching for the noise. It was rather dark to say the least, and he found himself tripping over some of the clutter littered in the area. "Nero?" Kyrie's voice carried through the van. She'd been startled upon her boyfriend's sudden movement and had fallen right into the other side of the couch, prompting her to wake up.
KNOCK KNOCK!
"Stay back." Nero replied with gritted teeth. The revving of an engine could be heard alongside the momentary red flash of light. The man inched towards the window. The closer he got the more anxious he felt. He was able to sense his adversary, but couldn't quite make out who it was. All he knew is that they weren't human. There were a few, actually. Two to be exact, and one other that didnt account for the rest. Demons. Here? That couldn't be. All or nothing. Nero thought to himself, stepping forward.
It was Dante!
Nero rolled down the window. "Dante?!"
"Hey, kid." He said cooly. "Going on a camping trip?"
"What time is it?" Nero yawned, rubbing his eyes. Dante turned his head, glancing back into the van for a moment. Low whispers could only barely be heard under the harsh rain, it's bleeding downpour drowning out most of the noise. It appeared as if he was speaking to two other people. The man was unable to make out their faces but could guess it was Lady and Trish, that'd explain the other souls he sensed. Dante shot his head back through the window, letting the waves run through his silky white hair.
"About 10, give or take." He said, sounding unsure. "So, what're you happy campers doing out so far from home?" Dante's lips curved towards the sky, showing off his signature cheeky grin. Nero scratched the back of his head, reaching behind him for a box that sat pristinely next to a dazed Nico. He carefully pushed it further out of sight with the sleight of his hand, hoping Dante wouldn't notice. He didn't.
"We came to see you, you missing bastard." Nero scoffed, crossing his arms with narrowed brows. "Where the hell were you?" He said, like a scolding mother.
"Hunting trip." Dante replied, moving back out of the rain. "The usual. If you're planning on sleeping here, there's plenty motels cheap down the road." He waved his hand in the air, shaking off his previous statement in a flash. "Actually, scratch that. Side of the curb is probably cleaner."
"Yeah, bet you'd know." Nero replied.
"Hm?"
"Come on, Dante!" Shouted a voice from behind. A pale hand reached out, gripping the corner of his leather seat as tight as they could, black nails digging straight into the material.
"Hey, hey, watch the layers!" He yelled back. "I paid good money for that!"
"Since you don't seem so short on cash right now how about you start paying me back?" Lady, their driver, interjected. As the three of them began bickering Nero could only be bear witness to watch it unfold, only hoping it didn't turn physical.
"For what?!"
"For not what!" Lady fiercely fired back, wavering her finger intrusively right up in the man's scornful nose. "How about you start with the sundae we just had to buy on the way up there?!"
"Don't blame me for someone's culinary genius. You liked it too."
"That's not even mentioning last week's either, or how about the loan for those neon lights we had installed just a month ago?" Lady continued, lobbing her accusations his way with no intention of pushing the brakes.
"Beauty attracts business." Dante replied, slumping back in his chair. "You should know."
"Look, are we going to go home or not?" Trish asked, leaning in between the two of them. "We don't have all night to be wasting it on some road in the middle of the rain."
"You heard the lady, Lady." Dante threw his hands in the air, a big grin flying right across his face. The sound of a stick shifting into gear came into the fray followed by the sound of the engine revving. "So, you coming along, kid?"
"Hell yeah we are." Nero replied, waking up a half-asleep Nico with the tap of an arm. A bit too mighty of a tap, causing the woman to yelp, something much unlike her. Screeching like a cat, she swatted him back.
"Hey, hey! Watch that arm or I'll rip it off again myself!"
"We're heading back to Dante's. Start the car." He replied, waving off the woman's frustration now filling the narrow hall in smoke.
It was around 10:30 when the gang arrived. Would've been earlier had Dante not felt the need to stop for a pizza. As he put it, "Can't drive on an empty stomach." Nonetheless, Lady did not take a slice. Though, there were moments when she couldn't help but to eye that cardboard box. Pepperoni, her favourite, and Dante knew it. If she took a slice that meant he won! If he won then it meant he'd stop for more. Mm, the flaky smell of that well done crust was hitting her like a truck. It's been so long since she stopped by a bakery, just to waltz in and Maybe one slice, but only when he wasn't looking.
Dante knew. He always knew. You can't fool a legendary pizza hunter by enticing him with a lie out the window. The second her hand slid off the wheel at a red light to snag a piece Dante knew from the sheer shift of weight alone. What could he say? You can't resist the pie.
The van stopped in the parking lot just down the curb from the office. Big illuminating neon lights saying DEVIL MAY CRY glew red, sending a homely glare right onto Dante's bright face. "Don't lug around, Dante." Trish lectured. "There's plenty of things in the back that need to be carried in."
"I'll be there in a sec." This building has been built twice now and it still was as beautiful as the day he bought it. This was the only place Dante felt he could truly call home. Through thick and thin he's always been able to come back to bed at the end of the day and sleep off his troubles until tomorrow. It was a little sad, thinking that a man who had seen so much saw so little comfort in such a huge world. He wasn't the only one who felt that way.
To Trish, this was the only place that she ever knew to be home. Aside from the underworld, of course, but no one who had any right mind - even for a demon, could consider that home. A hellscape to conquer, devoid of sanctity. More of a playground to fight and die rather than live. She may very well have ended up as a stain in an overflowing sea of red if she hadn't found her way on this small corner of the world. Well, fighting demons on her territory was better than theirs, and it paid too. Lady shared the same sentiment. Sure, it was far shabbier than where she used to live, back when she went by Mary, but here with these two made life feel far more worth living. It's the little things, you know?The lively company to fill her lonely apartment. Once she lived there on weekends and stopped by whenever there was work, but eventually she found herself lugging boxes into the empty room on the second floor that sat neatly above the devil hunter's desk. Living with Dante and Trish was an experience that nearly no human could ever compare, but every day was an adventure. Nothing was quiet. Nothing was deafening. "You be careful with my Kalina Ann, Dante!"
"Trust me," Dante yelled out, heaving it over his shoulder. "This puppy will be fine." The van trio: Nero, Kyrie, and Nico, did their best to help. The quicker they were out of the rain the better. Nero took most of the boxes, mostly comprised of ammunition for Lady. He wondered how she managed all of that. Dante had special guns, magic. Didn't need any ammo as far as he recalled. That made sense, considering there was never an instance he'd seen the man reload. Made by Nico's grandmother. If she were still here he might've requested her to take him up on a special pair of slingers too. Her granddaughter made amazing tools, but the quality control was ass. Nero didn't know if it was due to her experience or due to her bank account.
They unloaded the boxes in front of the lobby. Strangely enough, Morrison was sitting on Dante's desk, looking like he'd been waiting a while. "Dante! There's my favourite client."
"Morrison!" Dante cheered. "How'd you sneak in?"
"Found the hiding spot." Morrison chuckled, holding up a key. "Gotta say, Dante. You're getting more clever with each try, but maybe not have a second key hidden around if you don't want someone breaking in."
"Well, you never know where the first might end up. Sometimes I forget to hold on. Besides, any danger was never stopped by a door."
"Mm," Morrison nodded, lighting a cigar. "Well, it's about high time to celebrate."
"Celebration?" Dante asked. The sound of a clap could be heard and from nowhere, magenta sparkles blew through the air, disillusionment cast upon hidden decorations. Streamers and signs, a big paper one hanging right above Morrison's head. It read HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANTE!
"Birthday...?" Dante's brows raised to the tip of his head.
"Don't tell me you forgot." Trish smirked, crossing her arms. "What kind of man forgets their own birthday?"
"I..." He started, unable to finish before Lady handed him a small box, wrapping her arm right around him.
"Don't be so humble, Dante." Lady said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She quickly drew back and from underneath his thick coat of white, she could see his face growing a little red. I guess devil's do blush. She thought, growing pink a little herself.
"Thank you." A quiet voice was all Dante could muster.
Trish handed him a gift a moment later, but without a peck - that would be too weird, and unfitting for those two, Lady and Dante. She did find pleasure in watching the two of them stumble over one another recently. Ever since he had returned, the two of them had been bickering a lot more, but Trish was too wise to know when something was off. Or rather, when something was right. Whatever was going on, if Trish could tease the two of them tonight she'd be satisfied. Don't forget, she is a demon after all. A little bit of play goes a long way.
"Kyrie," Morrison said. "Would you be so kind to help me bring in the cake?" Kyrie's head popped up with wide eyes, caught off guard with an unsuspecting gaze.
"Oh, of course!" Kyrie followed him into the back.
"In the meantime," Morrison continued at the edge of the door near the back. "How about we jazz it up with some drinks?"
At around 11 they opened presents and ate cake. It was a magnificent triple layer red velvet with vanilla icing to top it off and around the edges. Delicious enough for a devil. Dante stuck his tongue out, rubbing his palms together. "Alright, what're we waiting for?"
"The song." Kyrie said.
"Not the song." Dante sighed. They sung the song. When the candles were lit, Dante blew them out and summoned his devil sword.
"Hey! You're not going to cut it with that, are you?" Lady asked.
"Why not? I'm careful." So he cut it. Careful, he was, if not a little too careful. With such a huge sword you had to be pristinely precise. "Voila, eat up." They did. It tasted as great as it looked. Morrison knew the perfect places for anything. Cake, decorations, jobs - Morrison could find you a perfect life if you so asked for. Well, nothing was perfect. Close enough though. Dante saw Lady eating alone by the bar and decided to slide right on while everyone was lost in the clouds from the amazing dessert.
"What's a lady like you doing alone in a place like this?" Dante asked, taking a seat right next to her.
"I could ask you the same question." She replied, twirling her straw around a small glass.
"That your fifth one?" Dante glanced over at the beverage, raising a brow.
"Not even my first." Lady shook her head. "Didn't drink anything."
"Eh, me neither." Dante shrugged. "I let the kids have their fun. Drinking wouldn't do me too much good, anyway."
"Right, don't want to make more of a fool of yourself at your own birthday." She laughed, slurping down some of her iced tea. "Why aren't you with the rest?"
"Birthdays, uh.. They're not my thing." Dante sighed, resting his elbows against the counter. "It's not that I don't appreciate the effort. Believe me, it's more than most give. It's just, well.. birthdays always feel a little..."
"Lonely?" Lady asked.
"Yeah." He replied, lowering his head. "You spend enough time on your own and begin to forget the days you shouldn't be."
"I know what you mean." She said, taking another swig of her not island iced tea, tearing halfway through. "How many birthdays go by until you're old and can't remember the last real one you had?" The woman directed her gaze into his shimmering blue eyes. As colourful as the sea and as deep, as alone as the ocean floor. They looked as if he wanted to cry. She'd only ever seen Dante tear up once, the day they first met. Devils never cry, and shouldn't on a day like today. "Say, how old are you now? 40? Don't go pulling out your back anytime soon, we need you."
"Aren't you a year or two behind?" He replied, not being able to hold back his laughter. Lady turned a bright red and Dante could practically see the steam spewing from her ears. Don't ask a Lady her age, one of the rules his late mother instilled in him. She was going to slap him but strayed from violence. If Dante was going to receive birthday beats it would be better to take them consensually. "You ever thought of settling down?"
Lady reeled back in her seat. "What?!"
"You know what I mean." Dante continued, speaking in a lower, hushed tone. "I've been doing this for as long as I can remember, and I love it. Wouldn't give a thing to retire, I mean that. Still, you ever thought about settling down? Like other people?"
"We're not like other people." Lady dipped her head down as the topic of conversation shifted. Settling down? Where was all this talk coming from? She hoped her comment about him being old wasn't taken too literally. For instance, he was a demon. That had to be nothing for their species. "Can we even do it if we tried?"
"Hey, anything's possible. Even defying death - just ask Vergil." Dante let out another small laugh. Man, how many times now did Dante believe he was dead? Twice? Third time's the charm. Speaking of Vergil, he wondered what his brother was doing. He never asked how he spent his birthday, partially because it's been so long since they'd properly seen one another. Their last birthday together was spent in an elegant dining hall. Dante could recall his mother Eva singing to them, their father scolding Dante for trying to snag a slice before blowing out the candles, Vergil bickering over who deserved more cake. A family. A part of Dante wanted that.
Lady too, but she wouldn't admit it. Her family had been stained so deeply that she worried whether or not she would be able to provide as a wife, or a mother. The thought didn't often cross her mind but when it did she never found herself feeling any closer to an answer. Maybe it was one of those things you just had to jump into with both eyes closed and hoping for the best of where you land.
"Who would I even settle with?" She asked cheekily. A tinge of tease in her tone.
Dante was oblivious as always. "Have to be someone who can handle you." He grinned. "A fire like that, Lady? Gonna need someone who can walk through it, because there's no way to take it out."
"Are you saying I'm unlovable?" She crossed her arms.
"Not at all. Very." There was a long silence between them. "Lady..." She stared. "I..."
"Dante!" Nero, ruining the moment. He approached him looking like a school kid who had their presentation next. Unprepared and skittish. It was unlike the young man to have such a face. He was holding a small box. "I, uh... I got you something."
"Aw, kid." Dante ruffled his hair. "You shouldn't have." It was blue with a gold ribbon.
"It's.. something s-special." Nero scratched the back of his head. "So open it, you bastard!"
Nero turned away to hide his embarrassment. Sparda help him, this was one of the worst moments he had to endure. Not even church back at the island was this bad. "Come on, hurry it up." He pleaded, tapping his foot. Dante obliged untying the knot and opening the box. There was a small, silver key on the inside.
"Hm?" Dante held it to the light. "A key? What door in a dingy tower does this unlock?"
"That's not - " Nero threw his arms down and seemed about ready to fight with his uncle until he noticed he was joking. "It's.. a key to a bike we've been working on." He continued. "We couldn't bring it today, but I thought you might like a faster mode of transportation. Custom made, it was Nico's idea, but I uh.. I'm the one who really fixed it up. Even Kyrie helped." Nero was incredibly flustered, speaking like a little boy giving a girl a flower. "I've got a picture right here."
The bike was a red colour with an outer rim of white, colours that complimented him perfectly. On the side of the hull had "Devil May Cry" painted in yellow, exaggerated in a sharp font. There was room for stickers each with flags in regards to mission locations. To top it all off, a nice leather seat to stick your ass on. All in all, this wasn't your daddy's bike, but it was your uncles.
"..." Dante was silent. Nero bit his tongue, that didn't sound good. Dante stood up and stared at Nero, giving him a look not dissimilar to when he found out Vergil was his father. Shit. Had he given him the wrong gift? Fuck. Then, Dante did something that surprised everyone. He put his arms around Nero and pulled him in for a hug. "You did good, kid." Dante whispered.
"What?" Nero said in a frail voice, feeling his eyes water up.
"Thank you, Nero." Dante held him tighter. Nero raised his lost arms, finding their footing in his shoulders.
Dante patted him on the back and let go. "Well, I'll take good care of that gift." He raised his arm to the crowd. "Anyone else! If you've got gifts, bring 'em over." And they did. Morrison, a nice whiskey from Spain that he collected on business. Trish, a mystical pair of chain blades, who she got from an angry adversary she had slain a few missions back. Monster encounter in Greece. Nice time, Dante couldn't remember. Between the gyros and sightseeing he'd spent his time lounging on the beach after the demons had been slain. The weapons were sweet.
Lady, she gave him a red, sleeveless leather jacket. A smokin' sexy one at that. On the back were a string of words accompanied by an angelic woman. The words read MADE IN HEAVEN. Just the thing he needed for his new hotrod. After all the gifts were opened, Dante and the rest of his crew ate the rest of the cake and by 11:30 he sent them off. "Adios, amigos." Dante said, bowing with an arm to his stomach. "I'll be down there tomorrow for the ride!"
Nero, Nico, and Kyrie left. Nero had his arm wrapped around Kyrie, they shared a kiss before stepping back down into the rain. "You had nothing to worry about, didn't you?" Kyrie asked, burying her head into his chest.
"No, nothing at all." Nero replied.
"I knew you wouldn't. He loves you, and so do I."
"Alright, let's stop slathering tongues and get back in the car. It's a long drive, I wanna get there before the sun comes up." With one last look at the building, the three of them were off.
"I'm off to bed." Trish said, stretching her arms over her head into the air, letting out a faint yawn. She ran her finger through what was left of the cake, licking the icing off the tip with a grin. "Don't get too crazy while I'm gone." Dante and Lady were left to clean up the decorations. Morrison had flocked off only a moment later following the disappearance of his nephew and friends. All things considered, it was a good birthday. Best one he's had in 32 years.
"So, how's it fit?" Lady asked, taking down a streamer.
"Nice and right, just how I like my jackets." Dante replied. "More stylish than the usual."
"Thought you needed it." She said. "You wear the same outfit every day, and a coat showered in blood for a month isn't going to cut it."
"Touché." He wagged his finger in the air. "Haven't you been rocking the same stuff for years now?"
"It changes here and there." Lady finished up most of the decorations while Dante ate the rest of the pie that had been left at the table. He was surprised no one else got to it first. The last slice sat there like a masterpiece of a painting, and he was in a museum. There was always something extra special about the last slice of pizza. It seemed to taste better. Maybe, it was all in their heads, but wouldn't you agree? Ah, how he could imagine it now! He extended his hands and reached right in...
"Early bird gets the worm." Lady snatched the last piece, quickly taking a bite before he could. Dante fell back in his chair. She smiled, an arm wrapped around her hip and did a little twist, standing proudly at her small victory. "Mm, tastes good too."
"Oh, really?" Dante got up. "Mind sending a piece my way?" He dived in, trying to snag it from her but she swiftly moved back, giggling. The slice became a game of cat and mouse.
"Didn't your mommy ever teach you to share?" Dante leaped, narrowly missing Lady. They twisted and turned around the office lobby, their feet moving so swiftly that one may have thought this to be a routine for how in sync the two were. To some, they may have looked as if they were dancing. Trish thought so, as she covertly watched them spin around. If they broke something, it'd be out of their pocket.
Lady continued to back up. This was easy. Was he making it easy on her? She hoped not. The dance became less about the slice the longer it went on. Lady was certain she had the upper hand against him. Whether he was holding back or not, she'd wear him out. He wasn't the only one who could go all night. Then she was pinned against the wall. Her arms held high, wrists captured by Dante. Wasn't this a familiar image?
"You got me." Lady said, admitting defeat. The heat was rising in her body. Her face flushed a cherry pink, like fleeting pettles of a sakura tree as she stared him down, unsure of how they even ended up in this position twice, much less the first time. She could see a younger Dante, an irresponsible shirtless annoyance with those god awful bangs. He knew it too, and could see the same thing. A woman with a glare unmatched by any demon, carrying a weapon packed of vengeance. They reminisced for a moment in each other's arms, and as they reflected on the past, a quiet understanding of each other's hearts stood in silence between them. "So," Lady mustered. "Expecting another present?"
"You could say that." Dante replied with a toothy grin. "Am I greedy?"
"No, not at all." Without another word, Lady closed the distance between them with a passionate kiss. Their lips grazed one another and lingered for a minute. In their small world, a lifetime. Oh, how the two of them have waited so long for this moment. There was once a thought it may never come, but when it did, it was as if dreams would come true. Dante pulled back, his hand cuffed gently around her chin.
"Jackpot."
11:50 Redgrave City, a familiar place.
Vergil was under a tall shield from the rain. The leaves of a far overgrown tree covered him from the rain that continued its never ending downpour. It might even go into tomorrow. He was silent, a statue with his gaze unmoving from where his head rest. Two tombstones. Eva and Sparda. Vergil was unable to recall how many times he had been here. Once, every year, he tried to make the journey. No matter the distance he always ended up here, reflecting on his life. For those many years he stood here he felt no more clarity within his life.
At least, not until now. Ever since his battle with Dante, Vergil has been different. Hes felt it in his heart. Could his motivation be shifting, after all those years? Was it that blasted humanity his brother held onto, infecting him through his son? His son... Nero. He had not seen him since that day. It was not as if he didn't know where he was. No, he knew exactly where Nero was. The truth is, he didn't know how to approach him.
The only model he ever had of a father was Sparda, and of what he could recall it was not anything to suffice for a lifetime. Had he known that he would one day have a son, Vergil would've studied his father for more than just technique and power. What came of Nero also opened questions to what came of that woman. His mother. Yes, that was a long time ago, but that night he spent on that island with her, it lead to where he was now.
Heartless as it was, he was unable to recognize either her name or face. Her voice, and how softly the words rolled off her tongue, that lingered. Anything else was a complete mystery, even her fate. He had been far too dedicated to his conquest to settle down, and on top of what had become of him for so many years, he wondered if she was still alive.
It's not as if Vergil was planning to make things right anytime soon. No, he was curious. As was Nero. Vergil didn't expect her to bear his child, and also did not expect her to have given him up. If things were different that day, would Vergil have been a rightful father to the boy? Would he have perished similar to Sparda, or persevered to survive for his sake?
He didn't know. He didn't know what to do now, knowing he could reach Nero. A part of him wanted to embrace his son, and another wanted to run. Whichever part had more power, he would find out. A father. He was a father nonetheless, and a dark part of him loved that fact.
He was a father. Vergil left at the stroke of midnight, disappearing into the rain. Happy birthday to the sons of Sparda.