Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. Capcom et al own Devil May Cry. I do not. I'm just borrowing them.
Title: Elysium
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Rating: R
Cross: Devil May Cry
Continuity: Better the Devil You Know. Read or be confused.
Feedback: It's kind of like a fifth element: Earth, Air, Fire and Water... and Feedback. It's important, and yes, I would love some. ;-)
Thanks: Teri and Trevelyan. Thank you, both.
Notes:
"Speech"
Emphasis
'Thoughts'
[Mental Communication]
Recommended Listening: AlanP was right on the money: Metallica's 'S&M', aka 'Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra', is beyond words. That good. I was of two minds about it, it would either rock, or it would be so pants it wouldn't be worth listening to. It's definitely the former. 'No Leaf Clover' is quite a track. Well, I say, 'quite' and what I mean is... well. Listen, and understand.
As the door exploded inwards, Giles ducked behind the counter to avoid the shards or wood, glass, metal and brickwork. Peeking above the countertop, his eyes widened in fright and he ducked down again, muttering a prayer.
A Devil stood in the now ruined doorway. It looked around, seemingly searching for something, and its eyes locked on the door to the basement. Stalking over to it, this door likewise exploded in the same way as the front door.
Giles followed the Devil as it pounded down the steps, ready to flee if it turned toward him. Fortunately, it was too concerned over what it had come there for.
It saw the box.
Giles covered his ears with his hands as an ear shattering roar resounded.
Dawn rounded the corner to the Magic Box, just in time to see that she was too late. Her bad feeling had paid off. What had been the orderly, and above all quaintly small entrance to the Magic Box was a gaping hole covering most of the front of the building.
Dawn picked up the pace, running as fast as she could. Faster than she had ever tried running before. Something told her she had to. Of course, that 'something' feeling could, potentially, get her killed, but if Buffy could do it, why couldn't she? She vaulted over a lump of what had been the wall, and then promptly fell flat on her face because the rubble she landed on had slipped under her weight.
The roar sounded, and she shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears.
"Ow!" She complained, picking herself up and continuing to the door to the basement. "Giles?" She hissed as she saw movement. "Get out of there, now!"
"Dawn?" Giles asked in amazed shock. "What are you doing here? You should be in school!"
"Damn school!" Dawn replied vehemently. Then she caught sight of what had done this to the Magic Box. "Giles. Get out of here. This isn't going to be pretty."
"How do you know?" Giles asked, backing out of the basement, keeping both eyes on the Devil.
"I know. Trust me. That... Devil, is after Xander's guns!"
"What do you...?" Giles stopped as a thought struck him. "Oh dear."
Dawn grabbed Giles coat sleeve as he reached the top, and helped him out. "I'm too late." She muttered despondently.
"How? How could you know what happened? How did you get here? Why?" Giles fired questions at her, not entirely making sense from the shock.
Dawn shook her head. "I'll tell you in a minute. I've got to try to stop it." She vanished back in the shop.
Giles turned quickly, trying to stop her. "Dawn! Wait!" His foot slipped and all he saw was darkness...
"Put that box down."
The Devil turned at the command echoing in the room.
It saw a young teen – Dawn – and if it could have sneered, it would have done. Instead, lacking the facial features required for such an expression, its green eyes flared in warning. "Interfere not with me, girl."
Dawn stood her ground, even though every muscle in her body was trying to hold a vote to overrule her brain and have it relieved of command. "Put that box down. It doesn't belong to you."
"It doesn't belong to me?" The Devil echoed amused. "Anything I wish belongs to me. If I wished it, you would belong to me."
Dawn ignored the Devils jibe. "Put the box down."
"You can't make me." The Devil gripped the top of the box, and tore it off, flinging it against the wall behind him. Reaching into the box, Dawn heard, "at last... you are mine, again..."
"They belong to my friend. Xander Harris."
"Are you so sure, Little Girl?"
"Yes."
Both pistols were levelled at Dawn. "Want to bet on that?"
Dawn faltered, taking a half a step back in fear. "I..."
"Good."
Dawn saw the Devil pull the triggers of the guns, but after that, couldn't put the next few seconds together for a long time.
When the Devil pulled the triggers, no bullets fired. So the sudden twin explosion of its chest was a shock it was unprepared for. A pained grunt, nothing more, and the wounds were already healed. He heard two voices speaking, and a third joining in.
The third was angry.
[We shall not be used to harm one who we have sworn to protect. Not even by you.]
[Corruption was feared by us. Or fears have been made flesh.]
[FOOL!] The third was Mundus, far from happy. [FAILURE! INCOMPETENT!]
Dawn cowered back as the Devil stalked toward her, and screamed as its talons closed around her wrist. "No! Let me go! Let me go!!!"
The Devil didn't listen.
With Dawn in its grip, it vanished in an implosion of sound.
Xepto stared hard at the half-breed in front of her. Weighing the possibilities carefully, she nodded slowly. "Very well... I will set your feet on the path, Dante. I hope you succeed. I pray that you survive."
Dante nodded. "This is going to sound very strange, and feel even stranger, but thank you, Xepto."
"Don't flatter yourself, half-breed," Xepto muttered. "I'm not doing this for you."
"I know that." Dante agreed. He half turned away and looked at her out of the corner of his vision. "I think you are a better parent than you think you are..."
With that, he walked a distance away, to let her think about what they had spoken of. "I'll be back at this spot in two days. I have some things I need to take care of if I'm to be gone for a long period of time. And it sounds like it will be a long trip."
Xepto stared after him.
Maybe there was more to humans than most Devils supposed. Her husband had certainly been one of a few worthy of their races' position in the grand scheme of things.
Dante was more perceptive than she had given him credit for.
That was both admirable, and to be feared.
Which, and when, was still to be decided.
For those of you wondering when Xander will next appear, it'll be next chapter. I want to make sure I get the next bit right. It's important.
Title: Elysium
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Rating: R
Cross: Devil May Cry
Continuity: Better the Devil You Know. Read or be confused.
Feedback: It's kind of like a fifth element: Earth, Air, Fire and Water... and Feedback. It's important, and yes, I would love some. ;-)
Thanks: Teri and Trevelyan. Thank you, both.
Notes:
"Speech"
Emphasis
'Thoughts'
[Mental Communication]
Recommended Listening: AlanP was right on the money: Metallica's 'S&M', aka 'Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra', is beyond words. That good. I was of two minds about it, it would either rock, or it would be so pants it wouldn't be worth listening to. It's definitely the former. 'No Leaf Clover' is quite a track. Well, I say, 'quite' and what I mean is... well. Listen, and understand.
As the door exploded inwards, Giles ducked behind the counter to avoid the shards or wood, glass, metal and brickwork. Peeking above the countertop, his eyes widened in fright and he ducked down again, muttering a prayer.
A Devil stood in the now ruined doorway. It looked around, seemingly searching for something, and its eyes locked on the door to the basement. Stalking over to it, this door likewise exploded in the same way as the front door.
Giles followed the Devil as it pounded down the steps, ready to flee if it turned toward him. Fortunately, it was too concerned over what it had come there for.
It saw the box.
Giles covered his ears with his hands as an ear shattering roar resounded.
Dawn rounded the corner to the Magic Box, just in time to see that she was too late. Her bad feeling had paid off. What had been the orderly, and above all quaintly small entrance to the Magic Box was a gaping hole covering most of the front of the building.
Dawn picked up the pace, running as fast as she could. Faster than she had ever tried running before. Something told her she had to. Of course, that 'something' feeling could, potentially, get her killed, but if Buffy could do it, why couldn't she? She vaulted over a lump of what had been the wall, and then promptly fell flat on her face because the rubble she landed on had slipped under her weight.
The roar sounded, and she shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears.
"Ow!" She complained, picking herself up and continuing to the door to the basement. "Giles?" She hissed as she saw movement. "Get out of there, now!"
"Dawn?" Giles asked in amazed shock. "What are you doing here? You should be in school!"
"Damn school!" Dawn replied vehemently. Then she caught sight of what had done this to the Magic Box. "Giles. Get out of here. This isn't going to be pretty."
"How do you know?" Giles asked, backing out of the basement, keeping both eyes on the Devil.
"I know. Trust me. That... Devil, is after Xander's guns!"
"What do you...?" Giles stopped as a thought struck him. "Oh dear."
Dawn grabbed Giles coat sleeve as he reached the top, and helped him out. "I'm too late." She muttered despondently.
"How? How could you know what happened? How did you get here? Why?" Giles fired questions at her, not entirely making sense from the shock.
Dawn shook her head. "I'll tell you in a minute. I've got to try to stop it." She vanished back in the shop.
Giles turned quickly, trying to stop her. "Dawn! Wait!" His foot slipped and all he saw was darkness...
"Put that box down."
The Devil turned at the command echoing in the room.
It saw a young teen – Dawn – and if it could have sneered, it would have done. Instead, lacking the facial features required for such an expression, its green eyes flared in warning. "Interfere not with me, girl."
Dawn stood her ground, even though every muscle in her body was trying to hold a vote to overrule her brain and have it relieved of command. "Put that box down. It doesn't belong to you."
"It doesn't belong to me?" The Devil echoed amused. "Anything I wish belongs to me. If I wished it, you would belong to me."
Dawn ignored the Devils jibe. "Put the box down."
"You can't make me." The Devil gripped the top of the box, and tore it off, flinging it against the wall behind him. Reaching into the box, Dawn heard, "at last... you are mine, again..."
"They belong to my friend. Xander Harris."
"Are you so sure, Little Girl?"
"Yes."
Both pistols were levelled at Dawn. "Want to bet on that?"
Dawn faltered, taking a half a step back in fear. "I..."
"Good."
Dawn saw the Devil pull the triggers of the guns, but after that, couldn't put the next few seconds together for a long time.
When the Devil pulled the triggers, no bullets fired. So the sudden twin explosion of its chest was a shock it was unprepared for. A pained grunt, nothing more, and the wounds were already healed. He heard two voices speaking, and a third joining in.
The third was angry.
[We shall not be used to harm one who we have sworn to protect. Not even by you.]
[Corruption was feared by us. Or fears have been made flesh.]
[FOOL!] The third was Mundus, far from happy. [FAILURE! INCOMPETENT!]
Dawn cowered back as the Devil stalked toward her, and screamed as its talons closed around her wrist. "No! Let me go! Let me go!!!"
The Devil didn't listen.
With Dawn in its grip, it vanished in an implosion of sound.
Xepto stared hard at the half-breed in front of her. Weighing the possibilities carefully, she nodded slowly. "Very well... I will set your feet on the path, Dante. I hope you succeed. I pray that you survive."
Dante nodded. "This is going to sound very strange, and feel even stranger, but thank you, Xepto."
"Don't flatter yourself, half-breed," Xepto muttered. "I'm not doing this for you."
"I know that." Dante agreed. He half turned away and looked at her out of the corner of his vision. "I think you are a better parent than you think you are..."
With that, he walked a distance away, to let her think about what they had spoken of. "I'll be back at this spot in two days. I have some things I need to take care of if I'm to be gone for a long period of time. And it sounds like it will be a long trip."
Xepto stared after him.
Maybe there was more to humans than most Devils supposed. Her husband had certainly been one of a few worthy of their races' position in the grand scheme of things.
Dante was more perceptive than she had given him credit for.
That was both admirable, and to be feared.
Which, and when, was still to be decided.
For those of you wondering when Xander will next appear, it'll be next chapter. I want to make sure I get the next bit right. It's important.