I am so sorry about the very long wait for this, but I had a bit of trouble getting my thougts straight. And I agree. The wait was way too long!

I realize I've fallen down on my job of appreciating the people who've taken their time to review. My appologies. It's thanks to all of you who review that these chapters keep coming and without all of your support, this story would probally be another file on my discontinued section. So thanks once again, from the bottom of my heart.

With that said and done, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry period. I do however, own Koketsu since I created it and its abilities.

-!-!-! next scene

He sat with his twin for a while longer, lost in thought, until he realized that Dante had fallen asleep. Leaning back, he couldn't help a smile when he saw his brother's face. Dante had a peaceful expression on his face, his lips curled into a sight, content smile.

Untangling himself from his brother, Vergil stood and with a light kiss to his brother's forehead, headed back upstairs.

A pair of mismatched eyes watched him from the doorway with interest.

Chapter Seven: "An Unexpected Savior"

He didn't know when it happened, but he did know where.

Somewhere between virtual and reality, the real world and the dream world, Vergil heard a voice. It called his name so softly, so lovingly, that he wasn't sure he'd actually heard it.

"…Vergil…"

It sounded so very familiar, the face behind the voice hanging tantalizingly close to discovery only being ripped away by his old habits. The fear he felt transformed him. His face turned from shocked and confused to cold, calm and collected. Sparking blue eyes dimmed to their normal cold appearance as he stood, vulnerable, in the darkness. His ever ready mind was calculating his options as he relied on his senses to pick up where the voice was coming from.

"…Vergil…"

He refused to listen to the part of his mind that pleaded with him to run for cover. These emotions—compassion, fear—were all new to him, like a memory long forgotten; a nightmare that he wanted to wake up from. Of all the things he faced (and he'd faced plenty) these emotions scared him the most. "Only cowards hide in the dark. Show yourself!"

Silence answered him.

Smirking, the older twin murmured, "Thought so." He began to walk away.

Suddenly, he heard the laughter of children and the voice said three words that stopped him in his tracks: "Dante and Vergil."

Vergil's mind was in turmoil and his body quivering slightly from realization. He knew who this was, but it wasn't possible. She was dead! "What trickery is this!" he snapped.

"Watch over him, Vergil… Please."

His mouth hung open, unsure of what to say. He was only able to stutter one word. "…M-Mother?"

!-!-!

On the rooftops, Queen paced anxiously while Eeris and Iiris kept their silent vigil, gazing at the broken down shop below them. They'd arrived only moments before on orders to deliver the 'invitation' in any way necessary.

"Calm yourself," Eeris hissed, keeping his eyes glued on the buildings below him. "Nothing can be done until the proper time. We must wait patiently."

Queen halted and turned to face them squarely. "Of course," she replied dryly, "How foolish of me not to follow my own advice." Then, with an annoyed huff, she sat on the side of the roof and began checking over her nails.

"The Sparda sons," Iiris whispered ecstatic, "Our dreams are coming true!"

Her brother turned to her. "Master Mundus gave us direct orders."

She nodded, smirking. "And, of course, we must follow the whims of our master. If he wants the half-breeds dead, then there as good as dead."

Eeris nodded. "Dante's mine, you can have his brother."

"Deal."

With that, the three sat on the roof top as still as statues, waiting for the right time to beset their prey.

!-!-!

"So, have you thought of a name for this shop, yet?"

Dante fiddled with his fork before scooping a pile of eggs into his mouth, chewing them thoughtfully. The three of them were sitting at the dinner table eating a real breakfast of toast, eggs and bacon. Vergil, being his bleak self, had refused to join whatever conversation his two housemates tried to include him in. So after awhile, they just gave up. Now they'd turned the conversation back to the shop, but he didn't know how to answer.

Of course, he knew the one he wanted; he just didn't want to say it orally.

Shrugging, he picked up a piece of burnt bacon and examined it. "Maybe."

Lady raised an eyebrow. "Let's say I take that as a yes. What's the name?"

Looking to Vergil then back to her, Dante shrugged again. "I find that 'Devil May Cry' took my fancy." He took a bite of the burnt meat, crunching on it as he would a potato chip.

Looking to the side, she tried to hold back a laugh. She wasn't disrespecting the name, of course. It's just that she'd heard better; way better. Coughing to regain her composure, she stood and, excusing herself, left to clean her guns. She left the room, still fighting back a chuckle.

"Going to clean your guns? Is that all you do with your spare time?"

Turning her head slightly, she noticed Vergil slowly approaching her. "Does it matter to you what I do with my spare time?"

His face remained blank and emotionless as he replied. "It can mean the difference between life and death."

"Or escape and confinement."

He smirked. "Exactly, but please, don't let me hold you back from your—" he paused "—daily routine."

Nodding slowly, she turned back around and continued onward. Leaping up the stairs, she entered into the room next to Vergil's. There was hardly any furniture there and the floor was spotless except for a few dirty clothes. Guns were lined up at the back wall.

Instantly, Lady strode over and began checking them and, when occasion permitted, cleaned them. She worked in silence and her guest, who was currently leaning comfortably against the wall, didn't try to force a conversation. "That reminds me," she murmured to herself. Then, turning to the older twin, she asked, "How come Dante's guns never run out of bullets? I've never seen him need to reload before."

Vergil smirked. "Took you long enough to ask." Then, he leaned his head back against the wall before continuing. "If you hadn't already guessed, it's not mortal made. Something that perfect can't be made by the flawed hands of humans."

She glared at him.

"Dante always had a thing with guns," he continued, ignoring the look but smirking to show that he'd seen it. "He was fascinated by them, even when we were kids. He'd design his own models and explain to me endless times about how they'd function and what any special properties were. It got annoying after a while.

"What I'm getting at is this. Ebony and Ivory were handguns made personally by him. He imbued some of his power into it—into the ammunition actually—so that he wouldn't have to worry about reloading." He shrugged. "Quite genius actually."

She scrunched up her face into an expression that made Vergil chuckle. "So they're demonic weapons."

"Don't stereotype weapons by those who created them. Demonic weapons are what hurt demons the most."

Her lip curled up in disgust. "You'll never catch me touching one. Even with a ten foot pole!"

Vergil raised an eyebrow at this. "I wouldn't bet on it. One day, using a demonic weapon may be the choice between life and death."

She just shook her head before continuing her work.

It was a little over ten minutes before they spoke again. It was Vergil who broke the silence.

"How much did you see?" It was more of a command then a question.

Startled, she looked up. "What do you mean?"

His face was terrifyingly calm, seeing as though his eyes were blazing. "It's a simple question, really. How much did you see of last night?"

Blinking, she retorted, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He took a threatening step towards her. "How much," he snarled, his eyes boring holes into her head. "did you see? I will not repeat this question a third time and—" he gave her a cold grin "—I will make you talk, that I can promise you. Old habits die hard, you see."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Dante can't stop what's already said and done. Just tell me and I'll leave you in peace."

Lady gave him a harsh glare, proving to him that she didn't fear his wrath. "I said I don't know what you're talking about."

Meeting her glare with his own heated one, Vergil studied her closely. She underestimated him, and greatly. Having a past of being a chaotic mastermind, the older twin's instincts were honed to perfection, allowing him to sense when one was lying to him. Lady was no exception; she shared her father's nonexistent gift of lying and that alone made her that much easier to read. That, too, and the fact that she was human.

Suddenly, he started laughing, a sound that was void of all emotions except amusement and venomous anger. "Foolish girl," he sneered, an evil smirk on his face. "You're just like your father: so easy to read." Then his face was wiped clean, back to its emotionless façade. "You can't hide anything from me, girl. I can read you like an open book." He took a threatening stride forward. "You saw everything, didn't you?"

It was then that something inside her snapped. Snatching an already loaded handgun from the floor near her foot, she cocked them swiftly and held them ready before her. "Shut up! Don't you dare compare me to that monster!" she snarled, pointing them at his chest. "I'm nothing like him!"

"You are, and in more ways than you know."

She growled. "I don't have to take this from you, so shut the hell up. Dante will gladly let me teach you a lesson and one that you, hopefully, won't forget for a long time." She fired, eyes trailed on his every movement.

Vergil's eyes danced with excitement and mirth, feeling the adrenaline roar through his veins. He didn't move even when the bullets pierced his chest. But then, suddenly, he was gone.

She blinked, a cold dread engulfing her when she realized where he was.

"Amateur," a voice hissed into her ear, dripping with venom. "Even my bumbling minions knew not to perform such a tactless assault against me. Never underestimate a Demon, it could mean the difference between life and death."

Or escape and confinement, she mused, finishing the thought mentally. She chuckled. "You should know then never to underestimate a demon slayer." With a small hop, she fell to the floor in a push-up position, kicking her feet out behind her, hoping to make contact with his shins.

The older twin anticipated her attack, somehow, and was already in the air. Lady barely rolled away in time before he slammed down; aiming to break her ankles as he almost did the floor. Jumping to her feet, she returned the guns to firing position.

"After all, we specialize in killing Demons!"

Vergil smiled cruelly. "And the dance begins again."

Lady growled again, squeezing the trigger…

Dante's voice from downstairs stopped them both in their tracks. "Hey, a little help down here! We've got an uninvited guest that needs to be entertained!"

!-!-!

As soon as Lady had left, Dante began musing about last night's events, barely noticing when Vergil stood to follow her.

He knew who that was, the answer was so plain and simple it was screaming at him. It was his mother, plain and simple. But that wasn't possible. He knew that better than anyone, he'd been convincing himself about it for the last few years. She was dead and was never, could never, come back.

But that logic couldn't hold against the facts. The voice was his mother's; the comfort was his mother's. Every bit of evidence screamed that she'd been there; she'd been the one to comfort him from the nightmares/memories. Memories so terrible he had relived them night after night for the whole month of the anniversary of when he'd met his second family. The experience had been so traumatizing, he swore the events of that day were scared upon his very soul.

"You're a fool, Dante," he scolded himself bleakly. "She's dead and that's the end of it." He got up and retched himself a beer.

Lying casually on the crimson couch, he stared at the TV program with unseeing eyes. His thoughts still lingered on the past.

The sound of gunfire from upstairs tore the platinum haired demon slayer from his thoughts. Looking up at the ceiling (he knew they were in the room above him), he shook his head wearily. "Damn roommates," he muttered under his breath. "Why'd he have to go and pick a fight?" He stood and moved to march up the stairs.

"So, you must be Dante, youngest son of the infamous Sparda. We meet face-to-face at last."

He paused in mid step. Sighing, he exclaimed, "I'm not even going to ask who you are to have learned my name or that title. Because, frankly, I don't care." He turned his head slightly to see who had spoken to him. "I'll just end up killing you anyways. Nothing personal."

The sexy blond lady standing behind him smirked suggestively. "I see you're as mouthy as ever. Glad to see you haven't lost your touch. However, are you sure you have the killing part down pat? I have a strange feeling you're wrong."

He hoped over the railing and grasped the hilt of Rebellion, the sword having been leaning on the nearby wall. "I dunno," he drawled, "maybe your senses are off wack." He swung the blade experimentally. "Because I'm feeling rather lucky today." He turned his head to the stairs and called, "Hey, a little help down here! We've got an uninvited guest that needs to be entertained!"

The two were down in a flash. After all, the only guest in a demon slaying business that needed to be entertained was a demon.

A blond woman stood imposingly in the doorway her skimpy leather outfit barely covering a body that would turn all eyes. Cold crimson pools rippled with ravage promises as she smirked at the three. "Vergil, the oldest of the Sparda brothers. 'Tis a pleasure to finally meet you face to face." Her sensual voice dripped with obvious sarcasm and she bowed mockingly. Then she turned to Lady and, after quirking a slim eyebrow, moved closer. "And you," she whispered, tilting her chin up with a rough hand, not bothering to be kind about it. "Must be Mary, the rebellious daughter of Arkham. 'Tis a pity you didn't follow in his footsteps. He was one of the more loyal and manipulative slaves that actually took my fancy."

Slapping the lady's hand away, Lady snarled, "My name is not Mary. She is dead. I am Lady, so get it right if you want to pretend to know me, bitch."

The lady's eyes flashed, suddenly, and Lady found herself struggling to remain standing. "Insolent human! You dare talk back to your superior, to the Queen!" Her eyes flared again, and Lady collapsed to her knees, shivering under the weight of the lady's demonic aura.

"I'm here to deliver a message," she exclaimed turning to Dante and Vergil, "an invitation from Lord Arkain to the revival of the Niephiaz'Daellos heir. He insists on your presences, should you decline."

Vergil stepped forward, gripping tightly the sheath in which Yamato rested. "And should the answer remain a no?"

"You will attend one way or another. Have fun." And with a final wave, she turned and left.

"What was that about?" Dante muttered, leaning slightly on his sword, glancing at Lady to make sure she was all right.

A 'clang' behind them made the three turn. A man with deathly pale skin—too pale to be human's—and spiky, blanched white hair sat casually on the wooden desk behind them. Reptilian eyes, a dull yellow shade, danced with malevolent mirth and a wild spark that caused all three to question his mortality, that and the dark bags that hung under them, as though he hadn't slept in days. "Greetings to you on this fine day, Sons of Sparda," he drawled sarcastically, eyes lazily examining their figures. "And you, Demon Slayer," he added with a nod towards Lady. "I was hoping you would decline the offer. It makes this job so much more—" he paused "—entertaining."

Vergil smirked and gestured vaguely. "Interesting choice of words, seeing as though we've the upper hand."

The man merely chuckled and pointed behind him.

Puzzled, the older twin turned.

Struggling vainly, Dante was held against the chest of a lady with the same deathly pale skin and hair as the man. A malicious smirk was painted on her angelic features while golden eyes danced malevolently, as if promising a tantalizingly slow, painful death. "Get the hell off me!" He yelled, thrashing madly in her grasp.

She leaned in and murmured something sinister into his ear. Instantly, his eyes glazed over, their colour dulled with defeat and he stared blankly at the floor, his body lying limp with her grasp. Looking up, she nodded.

The man laughed madly, throwing his head back as six jet black wings erupted from his back, showering the room with raven black feathers. Turing back his head back to the two, they saw that two new, black horns protruded from the mass of blanched locks and curled slightly, as those of a goat's did. Inch long, black nails and reddish-black fangs were bared threateningly as he stood, tucking his wings around his naked body. "You're related to that broken thing?" Not waiting for an answer he continued. "No matter. You can thank us later for ridding you of him."

And then they were gone, leaving Dante's sword behind, a pillar of their failure.

"Why am surprised?" Lady berated herself, shaking a shocked expression from her face. "Demons are always that fast."

"No, not fast," Vergil exclaimed, his voice terrifyingly calm for the passionate fire blazing behind the cold eyes. With a swish of his coat, he turned on his heel and strode up the stairs, his steps purposeful. "They never moved faster than a walk."

With a thoughtful frown, Lady followed him, eventually ending up in Dante's room. "Explain."

Opening the closet and removing the filthy clothes and such, he began tapping on the walls. "That lady that grabbed Dante, she was a Quicksilver. They're time controlling Demons—" he explained, seeing her blank look "—that are hard to see through human eyes. They can alter the speed in which things happen around them. It's quite annoying actually."

He turned to her. "Being human, even such a one who's knowledgeable in the ways of Demons, you're oblivious to the change. You see them, and then you don't; they just disappear. You don't feel or see anything different.

"Being a Demon, however," he continued, returning his attention to the wall, "I see and feel the change because I have two sets of instincts: human and Demon. So does Dante. We see the world slow down. We feel the slowness of our actions. We realize what happens before our human senses kick in and we understand what's occurring. That is why we are superior. Ah, here it is." He pushed at a certain section of the closet wall and a large chunk of it fell back with a loud 'thud'.

Lady gaped at him. "What did you just do!"

Creeping through the low doorway, Vergil didn't respond.

With an eyebrow raised in annoyance and a loud, suffering sigh, she followed him through.

The room was furnished with hooks on every wall. Hanging on the hooks on the right and front wall were guns: submachine guns, shotguns, handguns, blowguns, crossbows, snipers, rocket and grenade launchers and some others that she knew, from their appearance, came from the Demon World. On the left wall and stands on the floor were swords: broadswords, cutlasses, daggers, rapiers, two handed swords, and some twin blades with demonic qualities to them. On a long, wooden table in the center of the room were piles and piles of ammunition and grenades, each clearly labeled as to which gun they belonged or where they were used. On another, smaller table, decorative sheaths, gun halters and strange items were laid out.

Lady blinked twice before looking around the room again. This was too good to be true!

She snapped out of her daze when Vergil tossed her a halter and hissed, "Hurry up! We haven't got all day!"

Blinking again, she exclaimed, "Whoa, back up a second here. Did I miss something? What are we doing in here? What is here?"

He rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. "We're in Dante's secret armory as you can see." He gestured. "It having been a secret and an armory and all," he explained dryly, before returning to examining the swords on the wall. "Now hurry up. I want to leave as soon as possible."

She refused to move. "Where are we going?"

Vergil chuckled, running a hand through his hair to return it to its regular slicked back look before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Humans really are dense." He then began to mumble words that she couldn't catch, as they were muffled by his hand.

Sighing, Lady moved to the wall of guns, examining them visually before checking them manually and either placing them back on the hook or adding them to her arsenal. "Well, are you going to tell me or not?"

"Why, to rescue Dante, of course."

!-!-!

A few minutes later, the disgruntled couple emerged from the hidden room, closing it firmly before trudging down the creaky stairs, both loaded up with new weapons.

Lady was covered with guns having replaced her older ones (except for Kalina-Ann) with newer handguns, submachine guns, two snipers and a grenade launcher. Four new pouches attached to her belt held ammunition for her human made weapons, having still stubbornly refusing to accept Demon forged weapons. She was disgusted with the fact that a demonic dagger by the name of Koketsu hung by her side. Vergil had blackmailed her into taking it and she detested him for it.

The hilt was made of three, two headed, ebony snakes curling around each other and the guard was six snake heads (three pointing left and three pointing right) each set at different heights, mouths gaping and showing unusually large fangs. Each snake eye was set with a different jewel: a ruby, a topaz, an amethyst, a sapphire, an opal and an emerald. The blade was thin and jagged, jutting out thirteen inches from the hilt.

Vergil was picky about his weapons and had taken a lot of time before choosing only one; the sword he'd been fighting Dante over in the first place: Force Edge. She was mildly surprised when he'd considered using guns and had taken two: Ebony and Ivory and their halter.

Entering the room, Lady stood in silence as the older twin wrenched Rebellion from its place in the ground and set it neatly on his back. Then, without another look behind him, Vergil strode confidently out the door, his inhuman aura pulsing with a calm, controlled anger.

Following him wordlessly was Lady.

!-!-!

It was cold.

Dante sat, shivering, on the frigid stone floor of the musky room, his bare back resting against the equally chilled wall. He was curled into a protective position, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face buried in his knees.

Why? Why did this have to happen when he had no hopes of escape? It wasn't fair, but it was reality and he had to face it.

Lady would, hopefully, try. They'd come to an agreement and were allies, if not friends. He had agreed to help her exterminate the demon race, even though he was part one. That counted for something, right? Also, he saved her from an almost certain death by both Vergil and Arkham, so she owed him. But Vergil…

He clenched his eyes tightly before opening them.

Vergil.

He hadn't enough time to change him. He was still that cold, heartless half-breed that had battled him endlessly without batting an eye. He'd be rejoicing now, maybe even throw a party before leaving to continue with his diabolical plans to gain more power. No, getting his hopes up like that wasn't going to do him any good. It would only give his captor something else to destroy, another tool in which they could break him with.

After all, it was better to expect the worst then have your hope ripped from you, wasn't it?

Pulling his knees closer to his chest, Dante's chilled form began quaking. But it wasn't just from the icy air around him.

Oh, no.

I appoligize again for the long wait on this one. I'll hopefully be able to update faster next time.

So please review. Thanks!