It was a very long time before we got back. But I was happy about
that. Not only did I manage to avoid the Underworld but I also managed to
spend a few hours with Dante. And those were a few hours that had made me
more ecstatic than I ever thought possible. It was like a dream... only
reality. A perfect reality in which I always wanted to live.
"Well," He said as he pulled back in next to Devil Never Cry. "Looks like someone had a good time."
I presume he said that because I was smiling broadly. Reaching down to grab the edge of the leather seat, I responded. "I suppose. Considering I've never even been to that part of town before." I opened the door. He did the same.
Dante closed his door and folded his arms on the top of it, resting his chin on them. I looked over at him. Thankfully, he noticed and gestured towards the sky, grinning. I looked over only to see a huge surprise. The sun was rising to greet us. It's grapefruit rays were already beating down on the Earth. My tired, drained gaze shifted back to the Hunter who was just standing there, looking completely awake, as if it was then that he thrived.
"What time is it?" His blue eyes shifted so that I was their willing target.
"Judging from that and the season..." He faked a yawn. "It should be about five."
"Five." I repeated, as if that truly meant something. "Oh, damn."
"What?"
"I probably shouldn't have done that." I was so worried my eyes didn't stop on any one thing for any one moment. Until Dante spoke again, then my gaze stopped. Right on him.
"Why? Had too much fun?" That got a laugh from me.
"Not too much. I think that was a healthy dose. But... I was supposed to be back a long time ago." I said extremely reluctantly.
"They given you a deadline or some other shit like that?" As I kept looking at him, I noticed something. I wasn't quite sure what it was but I thought it to be a mixture of anger, pity, and compassion. Again, he frightened me with his new behavior. Maybe it was just because I wasn't used to it...
"Something like that. No matter how much I do not wish to admit it, I must be getting back before my punishment is greater. But... thank you." I started walking away. "The 'crime' will definitely justify the punishment."
Stealing one more glance at him, I noticed, yet another, emotion on his face that I didn't quite recognize. It was really starting to annoy me, in that strange, affectionate way.
As I walked through the familiar portal I saw someone standing in front of me, in the Underworld. For a moment I couldn't see but when my eyes adjusted to the dank light I identified the man to be my instructor. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped because I immediately felt a cold, hard slap across my face. Twisting my head around under the force, I felt the stinging begin instantly.
"Zoe! You know how long these trips are supposed to take. And eight hours is far too long for someone of your skill." He grabbed my by the arm and pulled me, unwillingly, to his office.
"What the hell were doing up there?" At that precise moment I knew, with all of my soul, he wasn't assuming anymore. He knew. So I came out but just to him.
Looking over at a tiny movement, I saw Gwen. She nodded, causing to me to go on with our old plan. "I was having fun. If that is such an offense." I said proudly, angering him.
"With him." He scoffed.
"Who else?" I knelt down quickly and groped around my ankle until I found my small dagger. Standing back up again, and directing my attention to him, I noticed that he was now circling me. Seriously pissed off.
"How can you betray us when we've taken care of you your whole life?"
I rolled my eyes, finally letting him see. "You call being treated as if I am nothing being taken care of? Because I really don't appreciate that. But... it really is amazing what the Underworld can teach one, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" I saw nervousness pour out of him.
"I was taught how to kill from the day I could walk. But, strange as it seems, I am very happy for that. Because I hear you were raised as one of the scholarly types. I'm thankful."
"Why?"
"Because I can do this and you can't." I lunged at him, as though I was going to attack, but I flipped over him and kicked his feet out, dropping him to the ground.
"Damn you, Zoe." He whispered.
Sighing, I bent down and grabbed his shirt, pushing him up against the wall. "You really are pathetic." I said as I drew the dagger across his throat, bathing part of the room in blood. "Pathetic..."
"Zoe." Gwen came out of the corner with a smile on her face. "Nice work but... you know what we agreed on."
I felt so horrible for letting her do this but I knew she wanted it and it would be best, in the long run. "Yeah, I do."
I ran out of my instructor's old office to find some authority but ended up finding Dartan. "My lady, what are you doing here?" I had to feign panting, which was quite funny actually, as he went along with it. Don't know why, though.
"Gwen...." Bending over, I placed my hands on my knees. "She killed him."
That got his attention. "Killed who?"
"My instructor, she killed him!"
"Where is she?" Dartan eagerly asked, hoping that this was his big break.
I gestured towards his office. "Stay here." He ran off, reappearing in a few minutes with a struggling Gwen.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" I had to literally clamp my hand over my mouth to stop the laughing. She was playing her part so well. But I soon defeated that because I knew what they were going to do with my best friend and I didn't want that.
She was brought, within minutes, to my father. He was in a large, cathedral-like building with multiple floors for optimum viewing. And it was, surprisingly, a very pale room with plenty of light. If it wasn't the Underworld, it would've looked holy. Dartan had tied up her hands and had pushed her down onto her knees in front of my towering relative. There was an entire crowd of demons, hollering and carrying on, wanting to see some blood spilled.
"Gwen..." He was obviously waiting for a chance to kill her because he hadn't killed anyone or anything in days, maybe hours. "You killed him."
"He deserved it, the ass." She was slapped across the face with a blade.
"Well, you did. And you shall be punished for murdering a member of a higher rank."
"Then what the fuck is my punishment? It's coming so why don't you just bring it?" Again, she was slapped for talking to our leader in such a manner. Which made it difficult for me to watch but I had to, though my friend was being sentenced horribly for a crime I committed.
"Death." Gesturing at a few of the "law," my father had them take her away.
He walked over to me, obviously sensing distress. Though he was a cruel, merciless leader and a violent warrior he showed a slight amount of affection towards me. I think that it was forced because I was his daughter but it still shocked me everytime he did it.
"Zoe?" He asked as he came up beside me.
"Yes, father?"
"You will be alright, I presume? I know she was the only friend you've got down here."
"I will be fine."
My father smiled. "That is excellent. You will need to be if you are to continue this assignment, though your instructor is dead."
"I'll manage." I ran off to my quarters. For that entire day and night I slept. Dreaming wild thoughts about allying the Hunters and destroying the Underworld, once and for all. But at the times when I couldn't sleep, I fashioned more powerful bullets for my guns or sharpened my blades. I wanted to be ready for what I knew was going to come. Nearly twenty-four hours after I left Dante, I was awakened from a frightful dream by an incessant knocking on the metal of my door. I slid out from under the blankets and walked over.
"Miss," Dartan said as I opened the door. "I am pleased to say that I have been promoted."
Yawning, I leaned on the door frame. "Let me guess, you're my new instructor, right?"
"Yes, I am. You're much more perceptive than what they told me."
"Yeah, I'm full of surprises. So what do you want?"
"I came here to tell you, ma'am, that your job is no where near finished. And that you'll be needing to go back and get a bit more information that fills in some holes."
"Yay." I said with fake enthusiasm that wasn't exactly fake.
"But, whether you like it or not, I am coming along." He said with an authoritative grin.
"No..." I whispered, turning around and nearly slamming the door on his face.
"Is there something wrong?"
In a horribly exposing reply, I told him the truth. "Yeah, there is."
"May I ask what that would be?" I almost thought he was offended.
"Listen, I don't work well when there's someone with me to distract me from what I'm doing. And, anyway, I don't think he'd take to kindly to one who's so obviously a demon." I said, referring to his extreme demonic appearence.
"Fine. But if I don't get information out of you then your father will be hearing about this."
"Don't care." And with that I closed the door and walked to my bathroom, cleaning up.
When I was finished, almost a half hour later, I walked out of my room, taking my sketchbook. Now, there was no reason that I could think of for doing so but it just felt like if I didn't... then something wouldn't happen that I wanted to happen. So I went with it. As I left a smile crept across my hollow face, again, for there was another portal leading to Earth. But, more importantly, it lead to Dante.
"Well," He said as he pulled back in next to Devil Never Cry. "Looks like someone had a good time."
I presume he said that because I was smiling broadly. Reaching down to grab the edge of the leather seat, I responded. "I suppose. Considering I've never even been to that part of town before." I opened the door. He did the same.
Dante closed his door and folded his arms on the top of it, resting his chin on them. I looked over at him. Thankfully, he noticed and gestured towards the sky, grinning. I looked over only to see a huge surprise. The sun was rising to greet us. It's grapefruit rays were already beating down on the Earth. My tired, drained gaze shifted back to the Hunter who was just standing there, looking completely awake, as if it was then that he thrived.
"What time is it?" His blue eyes shifted so that I was their willing target.
"Judging from that and the season..." He faked a yawn. "It should be about five."
"Five." I repeated, as if that truly meant something. "Oh, damn."
"What?"
"I probably shouldn't have done that." I was so worried my eyes didn't stop on any one thing for any one moment. Until Dante spoke again, then my gaze stopped. Right on him.
"Why? Had too much fun?" That got a laugh from me.
"Not too much. I think that was a healthy dose. But... I was supposed to be back a long time ago." I said extremely reluctantly.
"They given you a deadline or some other shit like that?" As I kept looking at him, I noticed something. I wasn't quite sure what it was but I thought it to be a mixture of anger, pity, and compassion. Again, he frightened me with his new behavior. Maybe it was just because I wasn't used to it...
"Something like that. No matter how much I do not wish to admit it, I must be getting back before my punishment is greater. But... thank you." I started walking away. "The 'crime' will definitely justify the punishment."
Stealing one more glance at him, I noticed, yet another, emotion on his face that I didn't quite recognize. It was really starting to annoy me, in that strange, affectionate way.
As I walked through the familiar portal I saw someone standing in front of me, in the Underworld. For a moment I couldn't see but when my eyes adjusted to the dank light I identified the man to be my instructor. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped because I immediately felt a cold, hard slap across my face. Twisting my head around under the force, I felt the stinging begin instantly.
"Zoe! You know how long these trips are supposed to take. And eight hours is far too long for someone of your skill." He grabbed my by the arm and pulled me, unwillingly, to his office.
"What the hell were doing up there?" At that precise moment I knew, with all of my soul, he wasn't assuming anymore. He knew. So I came out but just to him.
Looking over at a tiny movement, I saw Gwen. She nodded, causing to me to go on with our old plan. "I was having fun. If that is such an offense." I said proudly, angering him.
"With him." He scoffed.
"Who else?" I knelt down quickly and groped around my ankle until I found my small dagger. Standing back up again, and directing my attention to him, I noticed that he was now circling me. Seriously pissed off.
"How can you betray us when we've taken care of you your whole life?"
I rolled my eyes, finally letting him see. "You call being treated as if I am nothing being taken care of? Because I really don't appreciate that. But... it really is amazing what the Underworld can teach one, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" I saw nervousness pour out of him.
"I was taught how to kill from the day I could walk. But, strange as it seems, I am very happy for that. Because I hear you were raised as one of the scholarly types. I'm thankful."
"Why?"
"Because I can do this and you can't." I lunged at him, as though I was going to attack, but I flipped over him and kicked his feet out, dropping him to the ground.
"Damn you, Zoe." He whispered.
Sighing, I bent down and grabbed his shirt, pushing him up against the wall. "You really are pathetic." I said as I drew the dagger across his throat, bathing part of the room in blood. "Pathetic..."
"Zoe." Gwen came out of the corner with a smile on her face. "Nice work but... you know what we agreed on."
I felt so horrible for letting her do this but I knew she wanted it and it would be best, in the long run. "Yeah, I do."
I ran out of my instructor's old office to find some authority but ended up finding Dartan. "My lady, what are you doing here?" I had to feign panting, which was quite funny actually, as he went along with it. Don't know why, though.
"Gwen...." Bending over, I placed my hands on my knees. "She killed him."
That got his attention. "Killed who?"
"My instructor, she killed him!"
"Where is she?" Dartan eagerly asked, hoping that this was his big break.
I gestured towards his office. "Stay here." He ran off, reappearing in a few minutes with a struggling Gwen.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" I had to literally clamp my hand over my mouth to stop the laughing. She was playing her part so well. But I soon defeated that because I knew what they were going to do with my best friend and I didn't want that.
She was brought, within minutes, to my father. He was in a large, cathedral-like building with multiple floors for optimum viewing. And it was, surprisingly, a very pale room with plenty of light. If it wasn't the Underworld, it would've looked holy. Dartan had tied up her hands and had pushed her down onto her knees in front of my towering relative. There was an entire crowd of demons, hollering and carrying on, wanting to see some blood spilled.
"Gwen..." He was obviously waiting for a chance to kill her because he hadn't killed anyone or anything in days, maybe hours. "You killed him."
"He deserved it, the ass." She was slapped across the face with a blade.
"Well, you did. And you shall be punished for murdering a member of a higher rank."
"Then what the fuck is my punishment? It's coming so why don't you just bring it?" Again, she was slapped for talking to our leader in such a manner. Which made it difficult for me to watch but I had to, though my friend was being sentenced horribly for a crime I committed.
"Death." Gesturing at a few of the "law," my father had them take her away.
He walked over to me, obviously sensing distress. Though he was a cruel, merciless leader and a violent warrior he showed a slight amount of affection towards me. I think that it was forced because I was his daughter but it still shocked me everytime he did it.
"Zoe?" He asked as he came up beside me.
"Yes, father?"
"You will be alright, I presume? I know she was the only friend you've got down here."
"I will be fine."
My father smiled. "That is excellent. You will need to be if you are to continue this assignment, though your instructor is dead."
"I'll manage." I ran off to my quarters. For that entire day and night I slept. Dreaming wild thoughts about allying the Hunters and destroying the Underworld, once and for all. But at the times when I couldn't sleep, I fashioned more powerful bullets for my guns or sharpened my blades. I wanted to be ready for what I knew was going to come. Nearly twenty-four hours after I left Dante, I was awakened from a frightful dream by an incessant knocking on the metal of my door. I slid out from under the blankets and walked over.
"Miss," Dartan said as I opened the door. "I am pleased to say that I have been promoted."
Yawning, I leaned on the door frame. "Let me guess, you're my new instructor, right?"
"Yes, I am. You're much more perceptive than what they told me."
"Yeah, I'm full of surprises. So what do you want?"
"I came here to tell you, ma'am, that your job is no where near finished. And that you'll be needing to go back and get a bit more information that fills in some holes."
"Yay." I said with fake enthusiasm that wasn't exactly fake.
"But, whether you like it or not, I am coming along." He said with an authoritative grin.
"No..." I whispered, turning around and nearly slamming the door on his face.
"Is there something wrong?"
In a horribly exposing reply, I told him the truth. "Yeah, there is."
"May I ask what that would be?" I almost thought he was offended.
"Listen, I don't work well when there's someone with me to distract me from what I'm doing. And, anyway, I don't think he'd take to kindly to one who's so obviously a demon." I said, referring to his extreme demonic appearence.
"Fine. But if I don't get information out of you then your father will be hearing about this."
"Don't care." And with that I closed the door and walked to my bathroom, cleaning up.
When I was finished, almost a half hour later, I walked out of my room, taking my sketchbook. Now, there was no reason that I could think of for doing so but it just felt like if I didn't... then something wouldn't happen that I wanted to happen. So I went with it. As I left a smile crept across my hollow face, again, for there was another portal leading to Earth. But, more importantly, it lead to Dante.