Orissa led Trish and Dante out of the apartment. Dante limped after them, still in much pain. He gritted his teeth. Until his powers kicked in again, he hoped that he wouldn't have to fight. Not that he still wouldn't be able to kick some ass. Unless he came into contact with another of those Massadas or whatever they were called. Hell, he'd probably have to be saved by Trish! Now that would be even more embarrassing. He cleared his throat and quickened his pace slightly, so then he was walking alongside Orissa, with Trish in the rear.
'I should have thanked you for saving my life,' he said. His voice had dropped to a whisper, as though he were ashamed of himself. Orissa said nothing. 'But instead I was arrogant.' Orissa gave him a quick glance, checking to see whether he was being sincere. She looked away quickly as those piercing blue eyes stared into her own.
'You've got that right,' she muttered. Dante smiled.
'Maybe so.' Orissa stopped suddenly.
'We're here.' Dante looked around blindly in the dark. He could see nothing that was out of the ordinary. He looked carefully at Trish, and then at Orissa.
'Well? What next?' said Trish, impatiently. Orissa stepped forward and started chanting strange words in a high pitched voice. It was on which had a commanding tone to it, of one who was used to being obeyed. Trish folded her arms and frowned, catching Dante's eye. Dante knew that look well. She didn't like what she was seeing, and neither did he. The words made him feel uneasy. Orissa stepped back again, so then she was beside Trish.
A blinding blue flash lit the area. Trish shielded her eyes against the fierce glare of the light, but Dante merely narrowed his eyes and gazed straight at it. He began walking towards it automatically, even as Orissa spoke.
'The portal has been opened. Step through, and you'll soon understand exactly what my people have been put through.' Dante and Trish both looked at each other at that point. Trish looked slightly nervous, something that made Dante feel oddly amused. Especially considering that Trish was the same girl who had shoved a sword through his chest on the day of their first meeting. Dante wondered if this was the first time Trish had ever felt this way. Nervous…possibly scared? Had she felt afraid when she had been told that she would have to betray Dante? No, obviously not. It had happened twice now at any rate. She obviously hadn't been scared of doing that. If she had been, then they probably wouldn't have had to part ways.
Suddenly, he understood. Trish was afraid for her life. He was not the only person that she had been forced to lie to. Mundas too had been backstabbed. He would obviously remember that. Knowing Mundas, he'd want Trish to pay. With blood. Preferably her blood. Somehow, as much as he hated her, he didn't want to see her die. He cursed himself for having feelings for her. After all, she was almost as arrogant as he was. And she was much more of a pain as well. But now, looking at her, she didn't seem that way at all. He had been right. Trish had changed.
Orissa waited for Dante to step through the portal, which was glowing now with a faint watery blue light. She looked panicked.
'Hurry! This portal won't stay open for much longer!' Dante took a deep breath and walked through, Trish following close behind. Something like a white flash engulfed their vision. Dante felt the ground disappear beneath his feet. He struggled against the white mist that was folding over his vision but then felt himself hurled upon the ground, landing heavily onto his side. He cried out in pain and moaned. Trish got to her feet and stood over him, concern showing on her face.
'Orissa!' she cried. There was no answer. 'Orissa!' She cast about desperately, wondering if maybe Orissa had some painkillers or could do something to ease the pain that Dante was obviously feeling. There was no sign of her. Trish cursed and knelt down beside Dante, who was now silent. He rolled himself onto his back, one hand to his ribs.
'Shit…' he gasped. 'Shit that hurts…' Trish sighed and raised her hands in despair.
'I don't have anything to help you.'
'As if you'd want to. You'd like to stab me in the back again.' Trish looked at him curiously.
'What do you mean? You've been acting cold towards me ever since I've been here.'
'You know bloody well what I'm talking about.' Trish shook her head.
'No…I don't.'
'That night, when you got pissed off and left with him, you tipped those demons off on where I was. Hell, you got me into a lot of shit that night.' Trish frowned.
'I don't know what you're talking about. I just went to drop him off at college. By the time I came back, the whole place was deserted and trashed. I didn't know what else to do so I left.' Dante said nothing. 'What happened that night?' Dante remained silent but slowly and with great difficulty sat upright. 'Dante?' He slowly, unsteadily got to his feet and took stock of his surroundings.
Orissa had been right. There was no light. Everything had succumbed to the darkness. His eyes glinted slightly as he held up a glowing blue object. Trish recognised it from the time on Mallet Island. A pale glow was cast off onto the ground.
'How is he, anyway?' he said suddenly. Trish looked up at him and smiled.
'He's fine.'
'Does he train?'
'All the time.'
'I think we might need his help. You know as well as I do that I can't fight like this.' Trish said nothing but sighed. Dante suddenly whirled around as he heard a sudden noise from behind them. Trish readied her blade, Alastor. It was something that Dante had given her before she had left him, thinking he was dead. Dante smiled silently to himself as he saw it. Thinking he was dead. If he had been, wouldn't it have been all over the devil news? Dante the great demon hunter was dead. Yeah, like that would ever happen. He felt a sudden stab of pain in his ribs and his smile disappeared.
Maybe it would happen…maybe even today.
The light was suddenly knocked from his hands and rolled away, engulfed by the darkness that surrounded them. Dante froze stock still but then chided himself. What was he? Afraid of the dark? Him? A devil? His lip drew back in scorn but he said nothing. Trish bunched up close to him, not exactly frightened but nervous. Dante tensed up as he heard a sudden sound to his right, and then another to his left. He looked from side to side, his sharp vision trying eagerly to seek out what was with them, in this dark kingdom of misery.
Trish cried out as she was knocked out with a heavy blow to the back of the head. Dante screamed in agony and fell to the ground. A faint blue light was rolling back towards his way. He reached out towards it, but suddenly it was suspended in mid air, showing a pair of red eyes. The pale light set out a ghostly glow. Dante could now see that he was in a building of sorts, in what was presumably the main hall.
Orissa stood before him, her dark eyes now a deep shade of red. She bent down impassively over Dante and drew out a needle. Dante tried to move away, tried to get at his guns, but the pain was too much. It hurt even to move his arm away from his sides. A grey mist began to fold over his vision as the liquid was injected into his body.
'You…bitch…' he managed to croak. He tried to raise his head but his body didn't respond to his commands. The last thing he remembered was the three red spheres that hung suspended in the air as Orissa gave vent to a harsh laugh of triumph.