In response to Angel Wolf: Thank you for the pointers. I'll definitely try to add more detail when I can. I also wanted to go for something that had actual character development, and we'll see what Vergil's time with Mundus did to the him in the future. I also had worries about getting Dante's character right, as I have yet to truly keep a character in line with their personality. It's nice to know I haven't screwed up his general attitude.
In response to reddevil47: Oh yeah. It's already named Sparda, so why not?
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Nero hung up the phone, more than a little confused.
The voice in the phone wasn't Dante's. Did he get a new business partner or something?
Nero waved it off and stepped out of the phone booth. He wasn't far from the Devil May Cry, so walking was an ample option.
The streets were calm, which wasn't what Nero expected, given how Dante was the son of Sparda.
Sunlight was raining down from the sky, bathing most of the city in a warm light. Nero's coat grew warm as he walked thanks to it's dark color.
He adjusted his arm in the sling, careful not to mess with the coverings.
After the defeat of the Savior, Nero was promptly worshipped by the people of Fortuna. They had discovered his connection to Sparda and considered him a messenger from their Savior.
Eventually he got tired of people dropping to their knees at his feet and left. Of course, having nowhere to go, he hunted down Dante.
"Hey kid! You new in town?"
Nero stopped, looking over at the voice. A group of street thugs sat rather comfortably on the porch of a house, quietly talking and doing what street thugs did.
"Yeah. I'm looking for the Devil May Cry, got any directions?"
Nero shouted back. The supposed leader of the street thugs pointed down the street.
"Yeah. Just go straight two blocks and to the right. You'll see it. Been kinda loud over there, so be careful."
"Thanks."
Nero said as he went on his way. He somewhat expected them to jump him, given they were, well, street thugs.
The rest of the walk was relatively quiet. The many run down buildings and various sights gave Nero something to look at while he walked, which was a very satisfying change from the white stone of Fortuna.
As Nero rounded a corner he saw a large neon sign that spelled out 'Devil May Cry'. Of course the sign didn't blink with light, due to it being midday.
The young man then began walking a little faster, eager to see an old friend again. As he walked, he noticed that the roads around the shop were full of potholes.
"That explains why he walks everywhere."
Nero muttered, climbing the set of four steps in front of the shop. As he reached to open the door, the sound of someone clearing their voice met his ears.
Nero glanced to the right, noticing a girl around his age standing quietly. Her pink shirt long blonde hair were seemingly glowing in the sunlight.
"Are you one of Dante's friends?"
She asked, her hands planted firmly on her hips in a haughty way. She looked to be a few years younger than him, no older than thirteen.
"Uh, yeah. Is he here?"
"Heck if I know. That lousy idiot is normally out doing something stupid. You'd be better off not talking to him in my opinion."
Nero did a mental double take in reaction to the girl's response. How did Dante manage to piss off such a young girl?
"Oh! I almost forgot to ask. What's your name? How did you manage to get yourself wrapped up with Dante?"
The girl asked, taking on a more friendly tone as well as a wide smile. Nero replied with a nervous chuckle, thoroughly confused by the girl's mood swings.
"Name's Nero. I met him on a job."
The girl made a face of disappointment before sighing heavily.
"Well that explains a lot. My name's Patty, and I make sure Dante doesn't drown in his trash."
Patty reached out for a handshake, which Nero went to accept. At first he tried to use his right arm, but switched to his left at the last second.
They shook hands firmly, feeling a small kinship. After their introductions, they pulled away from the gesture.
"C'mon, let's go see what kind of stupid Dante has gotten into this time."
Patty said, motioning to the door with her hand. Nero nodded, grabbing the door and swinging it open.
What they saw shocked them.
The office of Dante was littered with large gashes and many objects were in strange places. The coffee table rested on the couch and the pool table was leaning awkwardly against the wall.
A man dressed in a blue coat was imbeded by the face in the floor boards, a black katana gripped tightly in his hand.
Dante himself lay on back, passed out.
Patty rushed into the room, nearly screeching at the sight before her. Nero walked slowly in, observing as Patty had a small breakdown at the state of the room.
"How am I supposed to clean this?! Dante!"
The girl growled at Dante's unconscious body like a vicious animal. Nero noted to not agitate her in the future.
As the younger girl stormed up the stairs to retrieve cleaning supplies, Nero drank in the room.
Despite it's horrid condition, the office carried a sense of experience and comfort. Like an old grandfather sharing a story with his children. The wood of the floor was dusty, but had a shine underneath the dirt.
A plethora of weapons were on display on various places. A bladed electric guitar, a three headed nunchuck and a large claymore with a dragon for a guard were the first weapons the young devil hunter examined.
The desk near the wall was strangely unharmed considering the state of the shop. The papers resting on the desk were littered with numbers and calculations. Most of them had a dollar sign in front of them, easily showing that somebody was paying off debts.
Nero looked behind the desk, finding a familiar weapon laying on the floor.
The Demon Sword Sparda sat quietly on the floor, it's display nails ripped off the wall. The nails also sat on the ground with the sword, but not radiate energy like Sparda did.
Nero bent over and lifted the weapon from the ground, hefting it over his shoulder to preserve energy. Nero then stared at the display nails, brainstorming how to drive them back into the wall without his right hand.
Nero then began to think that wearing a sling was just a hindrance. Sparda sent out a small bit of energy, as if to say 'yes, very ridiculous'.
"Don't you patronize me."
Nero muttered unconsciously. The Demon Sword gave something of a snort before falling silent.
Eventually the young devil hunter decided 'fuck it' and simply leaned Sparda against the wall. After setting down the Devil Arm, Nero moved over to Dante's snoring body.
He jabbed Dante with his foot a few times, causing the legendary devil hunter to stir in his sleep.
"You have a good nap, old man?"
Dante groaned, looking about the room deliriously. After getting his bearings, Dante slumped back down on the floor.
"Hey kid. Sorry for the mess."
Nero chuckled, hearing the angry footsteps of Patty descend the stairs.
"Tell that to her."
As soon as the last word left Nero's mouth Dante was assaulted by a broom, wielded by a very angry Patty.
Dante lifted his arms, still coated by Gilgamesh, in order to defend from the broom attacking his face.
"Hey! Hey! Kid-"
The broom caught Dante in the mouth, shoving bits of straw into his tongue and throat. The legendary devil hinter coughed and sputtered, still trying to fend off the furious broom wielding psycho.
Nero meanwhile laughed like a maniac, watching as the supposedly invincible half devil was overcome by a girl with a cleaning tool.
Nero felt that his time here was going to be very entertaining.
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Sorry for the delay everyone, I was swathed in work while I wrote this.
I really want to thank Angel Wolf for the review and constructive criticism. It really helped me pinpoint things I can improve. Please continue reviewing things, as I could really use a source of feedback.
Next chapter will be filled with a game of "Who is the father?" so be prepared for some familial drama!
Until next time!