KiroZen: Careful now! Don't sneeze any blood. That would suck.
Talond-996: Yeah, ass kicking is a good tradition if I do say so myself.
WolfWingsRandomWritings: Thanks. I tried to nail Dante's feelings about Vergil getting a Doppelganger-like a ability.
The-Book-Goblin: Protective uncle will come later. Probably. But I'm glad you like it!
Haku78: Thank you! I'm not sure I'm the best family fic you could've read first, but I'm honored.
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Vergil sat quietly in the car that Dante had procured. He wasn't going to question it, not when the matter at hand was so dire.
The words of the person on the phone struck both of the half-devils like a flaming semi-truck. They sat quietly, Dante's grip on the steering wheel growing ever tighter. The leather even squeaked under the pressure, which Vergil was too lost in thought to notice.
What had happened to them... It had driven them both into different paths, driven them to try and kill each other more than once... It had even driven Vergil straight into the palm of the Demon King Mundus.
Deep within the back of his mind, a nagging voice spoke. It was quiet, reserved. Knowledgeable. It was stark contrast from his devil, which was unrelenting in its drive to gain power. Vergil himself still wished to gain some of the power he had lost back. It was the reason he was here.
"It is not the only reason."
The voice spoke. Vergil closed his eyes in an attempt to dispel the voice. It worked, if only slightly. The voice was smaller, more insignificant compared to his devil. That didn't stop it from speaking though.
"We can protect others. We can prevent what happened to us, and inspire others to stand against the darkness."
Vergil felt his face morph into a scowl. Even as he tried to banish the voice, he couldn't find a true fault in the words it spoke.
No... No, Vergil didn't need the gratitude of saving one minuscule human life. Especially not when they were too frail to protect themselves.
"You are being cruel. Like him."
Rage boiled inside Vergil. Not his own rage. It was his devil half, outraged that this voice still had sway over it's supposed dominion.
Vergil himself knew what the voice meant. The cruelty was that of Mundus. The Demon King had left scars that would never heal, and Vergil was becoming bitter because of it. It was one of the main reasons he had returned to his brother.
Dante was the sword that could cut away the cruelty. Like he had in the Temen-ni-gru. He could pull Vergil back from the brink and set him back on the path to healing. Back on the path to being like Father.
There were many things Vergil despised about Dante. His care-free attitude that left no room for seriousness when the time truly called for it. His poor handling of money and as well as his supposed inability to stand up to the two women who had very much put Dante in debt.
Yamato hummed in Vergil's lap, responding to its wielder's emotions. The small pulse of demonic energy brought Vergil back into reality, realizing that they were almost at their destination.
The car drove quickly towards an orange light in the distance. The road they were on was dirt now, with the house they were meant to find being fairly far out of the city.
The car rounded a corner, and the brothers saw the true enormity of the situation at hand.
A house, well built and made of intricate wood, was on fire. The roof had been completely consumed by the flames and the beams that held up the porch looked as though they were about to collapse.
Demons danced around the burning house, snarling as the ashes began to fly into the air before drifting down.
Dante's devil gave an audible growl, one that Vergil's devil agreed with. This was a sick ritual, designed to give the demons power from the unwilling sacrifice of the humans in the home.
The car came to a quick stop in the driveway and both brothers leapt into action.
Rebellion sang as it came crashing down on a nearby demon, slicing it cleanly in half. Dante drew Ebony and riddled another demon with bullets until it was nearly unrecognizable before spinning and slicing another demon to ribbons.
Yamato was quick and precise, slicing into four demons before they even had the chance process the attack. The demons nearby hissed before leaping forward at Vergil, their reptilian fangs bared.
A quick punch from Beowulf shattered the first demon's jaw, even ripping the lower half from it's head. The second demon received a kick that must've shattered every bone in it's body.
Many summoned swords impaled the last oncoming demon, making it cry out in anguish. Vergil's devil growled, it's bloodlust beginning to seep out in the form of Vergil's blue aura.
Dante sliced three other demons into pieces, lacking the same style he usually did. It was like when Sid was pursuing the power of Abigail. His swings lacked any rhyme or rhythm, only aiming to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Another swing saw a particularly large reptile demon reduced to a simple top half, it's legs having been removed from the waist down with surgical precision. Dante unloaded another barrage of bullets into oncoming demons, killing each one with a bullet to the skull.
Dante's vision flashed quickly to the house. He needed to save whoever was left in there. The fire wouldn't do much to hurt him beyond charr his coat. He was willing to risk the loss if it meant saving a life.
He shot another demon before sheathing Rebellion and dashing for the burning house.
"Vergil! I'm going in!"
Vergil nodded in response before slicing four more demons to piles of mutilated flesh. His summoned swords quickly stopped the demons from following Dante, drawing their attention to the blue half-devil.
A group of fifteen demons inched their way forward, their reptilian fangs bared and dripping with a yellow poison that Vergil was fairly sure acted as a paralyzing agent.
He sheathed Yamato, preparing to end them all at once. They took the movement as a sign to attack, leaping forward.
Vergil reacted quickly, slicing away at the first demons who leapt. They fell to the ground and writhed before stilling. Vergil rushed forward, cutting an individual demon down before switching to Beowulf and slamming his feet into another pair of demons.
He switched weapons once more, slicing through three demons with one strike from Alastor. Lightning crackled as Vergil tossed the sword like a boomerang. He took the opportunity to switch back to Yamato, unleashing a thousand cuts onto another demon before dismissing Yamato and catching Alastor as it came back go him.
Vergil turned on his heel and sliced clean through another demon.
He glanced at the house, watching as one of the beams that kept the porch roof up fell onto the ground with a terrible crack.
"He will prevail."
The voice said. Vergil didn't have the time nor the energy to banish the voice once more, simply focusing on cutting down the demons that would seek to slaughter him.
Dante growled as he kicked down a halfway burning door, searching the room quickly before moving to the next.
"Is anybody there!?"
He called out as he dodged a piece of flaming ceiling as it came crashing downwards. A sound to his left sent the half-devil into overdrive. He proceeded to ram through a wall with all of his might, coming to a stop in what looked like a bedroom.
Dante spotted the closet door quickly, and he rushed to help. He opened the door, finding a very much terrified woman and child, who at first recoiled at his actions.
Hope filled their eyes as Dante reached out.
"Come on!"
The woman held the child tightly as she took Dante's hand. She followed closely as Dante dashed back towards the front door, dodging a piece of collapsing cieling.
It didn't take long to get them out the door and Dante was relieved to see that Vergil was taking care of the last demon left standing.
As Dante stepped off the porch with the woman, a hissing sound hit his enhanced ears. Panic quickly filled his being as he shoved the woman and the child forward.
"Vergil!"
The blue half-devil was catching the woman even as she fell, glancing up at his brother.
The house suddenly let out a huff of air before it exploded into a shower of flame and wood. It sent Dante flying forwards, the power of the blast enhanced by whatever flammable substance that caused it.
He landed hard onto the ground, his back now significantly warmer than it had before he had exited the house. His ears rung painfully, the blast having wrought havoc on his superhuman hearing.
Vergil had caught the woman and child, easily keeping them from being sent flying by the blast like Dante had. He was grateful for that, at least.
Vergil quickly checked on the woman.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Please, wait here for a moment."
It wasn't like Vergil to ask. In fact he wanted to simply toss the woman to the side and help his brother, consequences be damned. He rushed over, grabbing Dante by the shoulder and hoisting him up.
Dante gave a groan in response. His back hurt more than it had in his life, but the pain was receding quickly. Vergil allowed Dante to stand on his own for a moment before fully letting go.
Dante walked forward slowly. The woman walked to meet him and Vergil, who stood to the side in case the younger half-devil ended up collapsing.
"You alright ma'am?"
"Yes. Thank you so much! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here."
Dante gave a caring smile. He was happy that he had prevented the loss of any life besides the demons.
Vergil however wished to snap at the woman. To say that she would be dead without them, or worse. Once again the voice spoke, having grown a bit louder than it was in the car.
"She is grateful. Isn't that enough?"
Vergil closed his eyes. He would have to concede that point. He had prevented a tragedy not unlike the one that had separated him and Dante.
"How's the kid?"
Dante asked. The woman loosed her grip on the child, revealing a young boy, no older than five. His face was terrified and his eyes were streaming with tears. Dante gave his usual cocky smirk and reached forward, patting the child on the head.
"Don't worry kid. You're safe now."
The boy gave a traumatized nod in response. Vergil had to admit that the hope in the child's eyes warmed a spot in his heart and he quickly buried the feeling.
The woman smiled gratefully before looking over to the smoking remains of the home.
Dante followed her gaze, his wounds now almost completely healed. He frowned at the sight.
"Do you have a place to stay?"
The woman nodded.
"Yes. My sister lives in the city, not too far from here."
She looked at Dante for a moment, a look of sincerity overcoming her.
"There should be a safe in the house. There was money kept in there if you want it."
Vergil took the opportunity to speak.
"I doubt it survived the blast."
At least, that's what he thought.
Until the heavy iron safe landed with a thud on the ground in front of them.
"I suppose it did."