Demons dived after the spilled blood that had leaked from V's left arm the moment he tried to escape the hoard of demons, screams of glee filled his ears as they latched onto the small pool of blood until a sound of pain filled his stunned ears.
Glancing back V instantly regretted the action as he watched from the corner of his eye the instant a demon deteriorated, limbs shaking violently as blood oozed out of it's maw, nose, ears and eyes before it crumpled to dust. Others in the group paid no heed of the unexpected death nor mourned for the loss as lust for the fallen blood filled this mind and eyes. Almost as if nothing could tear them away from the nectar before them. Wishing to devour it before it became spoiled.
Feeling horrified and sick to his stomach V peered at Hara's fallen form as she remained out cold in his arms.
V's eyes shot open, gasping heavily he sat up feeling his heart rate become rapid and beating madly in his chest. Clutching the book in his hand tightly, loud breathing filled his ears from remembering the scene that even now continued to haunt him.
Just how mindless the demons were and how they paid little to no heed when their own died, just for blood that had fallen and from Hara of all things. The very thought that if he had been whole and caught whatever it was that attracted the other demons to her blood, the very idea sent shivers down his spine.
"That was not normal" V thought while using his free hand to grip his chest via his vest, not caring that the vest itself would be strained by his tight grip. "Why would they react to her blood? It was almost as if it was calling out to them" V leaned his back against what he realised was the old couch located in Nico's van. Getting up his body groaned in protest as he used his cane to move towards where Hara was resting- inside a basket by Nico's workstation.
Something that would have made him chuckle was the white blanket despite being slightly dirty laid on her body in order to keep her warm, only it made him more sombre from not knowing if she was okay or not regardless of the fact her chest was moving up and down. Gripping his cane tightly V knelt down on one knee, almost groaning as his leather sandals made a noise displaying their protest of how he was using them. Slowly he placed his hand on top of her head before stroking her furred cheek. Regret continued to fill his mind over what had happened and wondered why- how he allowed it to get that far. Surely the wisest choice was to keep her with the mechanic as she was always in her van, out of harms way for the most part.
"And yet, is that truly what you want?" A voice asked him, guarded and sounding judgemental.
"What would you have me do? Those important to me either leave or die" V defended now realising who was talking to him. As much as he hated the thought of looking crazy, his mind slowly settled into a sense of ease knowing that the voice was still around and hadn't left him. An absurd notion to think about and yet, it gave him a sense of relief knowing that someone who knew his goals and what he was thinking. Despite it leaving him feeling vulnerable and unsettled by this notion. After all, over the years he refused to allow himself to be cared for or put in a position that would allow him to be used and manipulated into one's hands. Only, this voice somehow showed honesty instead of any signs of deceit. That or they were a very good actor, something he doubted due to how the voice spoke.
Maybe that was why he chose to take a risk and trust the voice, to see if it was worth even putting faith in something even if it was just an invisible being. It's not like he had much to lose now thanks to what he as a whole did. Removing anything deemed a weaknesses in the original Vergil's eyes.
"So you'd gladly abandon people just to save your hide? Kind of ironic as your daddy dearest did that to you, according to your memories. Care to continue the cycle?" The voice said in a challenging tone that made the corner of his mouth tense up. Anger filled V's mind thanks to how it affected his mother and brother, he himself had not taken the issue lightly and suffered the effects of how a grudge could enter one's mind like poison. Something he of all people should have tried to realise and learn- the cycle of hatred. All this just to gain power and for what?
"It's… not like that" V defended before sitting down, allowing his sandals to ease up on his tired feet. Hand remained on her cheek as he felt a sense of helplessness feed into his mind.
"Really? Care to say that again to Hara with more confidence when she wakes up or are you going to chicken out of it?" the voice replied leaving him want to be defensive to the accusation.
"Because I'm sure getting mauled to death by an angry fox isn't going to bode well, even for you" the voice added darkly earning her a wry smirk from the tired male.
"No, it would not…" he mused softly before a sigh left his lips as he observed the fox with worry forming from how long she had been sleeping.
"How long do you think she'll be out?" V asked the voice who went quiet for a bit from the question.
"Hard to say Vitalie, she lost a lot of energy trying to move your bony yet heavy backside from the abandoned battlefield. But give her enough rest and she should be fine" The voice replied calmly, something that didn't agree with him as the corners of his mouth pinched tightly.
"How are you though? Is your body coping well considering what happened?" the voice asked bluntly startling him enough to blink, slowly placing a hand to his chest, he felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat which had skipped and from the question of all things. Surely he should be on guard and suspicious for even being asked such a thing. Only the very questions left him feeling a sense of warmth he had forgotten even existed.
Almost as if someone actually cared about him.
Then again, his face turned grim as he realised it was only because of the contract he had. A mark he was not even able to locate which was bizarre considering that all his familiars left theirs on him and yet. This voice left nothing for him to be aware of. Almost as if their contract was non-existent.
Had this voice truly helped him?
If so how and why was there no signs of it?
"As well as I can be" V replied in a guarded tone. Feeling a sense that the voice did not believe him he kept his mind blank.
"You almost overdid things again V, you are getting reckless from all this haste" The voice said sternly almost sounding as if they were scolding him.
"And what would you have me do? Take my time while I waste away, losing whatever time I have left while Urizen gets stronger and stronger every day? Every victim he takes-"
"Well aware dumbass!" The voice sounded bored leaving him bristling at the cold response.
"You're no good to anyone, least of all to your group dead" the voice replied tersely causing a sense of frustration to fill his mind.
"I know Vergil, I know you're frustrated but you're causing more harm than good. I can't keep lending more than I can to help you if you're not aware of your limitations nor care for it. Remember if you die your familiars die too" The voice added in a calm tone.
"What exactly have you done to help? Nothing! If there was a contract between us, I would have known!" V responded now wanting to lash out at the voice for how it was talking down to him. He- who had once been a powerful demon hybrid only to be reduced to this waste of a shell. Amusement filled him only it didn't feel as if it belonged to him shocking him.
"…Vitalie, you don't need a mark to prove a contract. If that's what you've been assuming, then you are a very slow witted hybrid. What I did was extremely unorthodox and against nature. I could get into severe trouble if I was caught out doing this method since my heritage would severely frown upon it" the voice replied coldly causing him to twitch while stroking the fox's cheek lightly.
"Oh? And pray tell, what have you done that could possibly be so terrible as opposed to what wrongs I have done?" V challenged, his mind briefly going to the name the voice kept calling him leaving him baffled. Silence greeted his ears before a heavy sigh left the voice.
"I tied my lifeforce to yours, if you drain yours, I'll be forced to offer mine in exchange to balance things out. However if we are both depleted- we both die" the voice explained in a grave tone. Ice formed within V's body as the realisation formed in his mind. The sudden bursts of energy, the lack of fatigue when he had usually become tired so quickly. All this had been her influence and he had been blind to realise it.
Just realising this made him want to tear his hair out in frustration. Of course the voice would uphold her end of the bargain, but what would she get in return? Surely there had to be something in it for her to allow such a thing to happen right? There was no such thing as a selfless one-sided act.
"But… why? Why have you done this? Why would you do this?" V asked as his heart began to beat so hard it made his ears red from the amount of blood rushing into them, his eyes went to the fox who remained asleep. Oblivious to his inner turmoil.
"You asked for my help and-" the voice replied calmly before pausing causing V to become restless as his mind went to how Hara appeared when he needed him. Had they both somehow heard his pleas?
How was this even possible? Throughout the years he had always cried for help only to receive nothing, except this time two had appeared and when he was dying. A stupidly foolish irony which caused a bitter smile to form.
What excuse could she possible give him that would justify her actions?
"And what?" V's mind raced leaving more unsettled, antsy and uncomfortable with his skin. This has to be a joke. What more could there by to this- this farce?
"It's not your turn to die yet Vergil" the voice said before he heard Shadow yowl in shock. Startled V turned to look at Hara who's blanket had stopped moving, watching Shadow nuzzle her face while releasing mournful whimpers in hopes of waking the fox which proved fruitless.
"What's got you upset kitty?" Griffon asked as he perched near the trio, Shadow growled and snapped at Griffon who tensed up in shock while V watched with a baffled look. A chill ran down his spine from the sudden foreboding behaviour Shadow was presenting to the group.
"You must be imagining things, of course she's alive" Griffon said as he went to the basket. "You're just being-" Griffon froze as his beak felt no air leaving Hara's lungs. Startled he moved the blanket back to see no air going in or out of her chest causing V's hand to grip the cane before dropping it. His heart sank while a feeling he was sure was despair filled his aching heart.
She couldn't be dead!
What had he done?
"You are an abomination thanks to Sparda, to think he would sully his blood and create two weak, soft skinned spawn" a voice echoed in his voice as V's breathing shook, checking her chest once more he tried help her breathe before Shadow ordered Griffon to get help. Without wasting time Griffon left without looking back in hopes of spotting either the boy or the mechanic.
Gritting his teeth in frustration V kept doing chest compressions only to see she did not move an inch. Lifting her into his arms V whispered apologies while hugging her close to his chest, shivering violently V felt his heart weep. Wishing that the voice could help him.
"Actions have consequences Vergil, there is so much I can do" the voice had said once leaving him wanting to vomit, it should be him who suffered whatever this is. Not her, she maybe a fox but she meant more to him than he would admit aloud. To make it worse the voice had faded from his mind, almost as if she was telling him she could not help, a thing that made him more frustrated and shaken. Why had she left again?
Surely she could help the fox like she helped him, so why did she not? What excuse could she possibly have?
As he remained focused on the fox and her loss of movement, Nero rushed into the trailer with Nico who screamed in horror before grabbing what she could. Meanwhile Nero remained frozen as he saw two shiny things running down V's cheeks in an alarming manner. The male grew sick from watching how despite trying to remain calm, V was slowly breaking to pieces almost as if she had taken something precious from the poet.
"She's not breathing" V murmuredsoftly before looking at Nero, caring little for his appearance or that he was showing signs of weakness. Or that he had sunk so low just by caring for something that others would call a dumb animal. A scavenger of all things.
"I don't know how to wake her, why did she stop breathing?" V asked lowly as he faced Hara's form once more.
"…I curse my stars in bitter grief and woe,
That made my love so high and me so low" V added as he stroked her cold cheek, his mind going back to the book of Vergil's youth. "Why must things be taken from me?" Nero felt acid forming in his stomach from watching V break down, knowing that he could do nothing to offer words of comfort.
"Why must I ruin whatever I touch?" V continued to stroke her cheek, "I should have just left her here, I shouldn't have let her stay with me… no matter what I will always be powerless to stop bad things from happening" V's form shook a bit more causing his already cold body to rattle a bit but not too loudly to cause his body to jerk or hurt him violently.
"Why am I so useless?"