Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of me owning the company of Capcom. It'd be cool though, what with Marvel Vs. Capcom, and I'd put Dante and Wesker in it . So... this story belongs to me, but the characters belong to Capcom. Drat.

Recommended Listening:
Schwarze Sonne-E Nomine
Dark Knight-Devil May Cry original soundtrack

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Mitternacht

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He stood no taller than 6', with slicked back blonde hair and a well-built body, due to years in the service. His attire fit perfectly well with the darkened background he kept himself in; from the polished black combat boots to the dark sunglasses that hid his precariously dangerous eyes. The air about him gave off a cultured demeanor, but he was cruel, as he was slick in getting his ways, no two ways about it. And he liked to get his way.

Needless to say, Albert Wesker was indefinitely surprised to see the alleged little sister of Chris Redfield, creeping up the steps of the Ashford mansion. He adjusted his glasses to hide his keen eyes as he casually made his way to his prey.

"Miss Claire Redfield, I presume?" Indeed, the girl was beautiful. Looked just like her... dear brother... The lithe brunette stopped upon hearing his voice and turned slightly. Oh, was she a looker, but for what reason was she on Rockfort?

"And you are?" Apparently Christopher never told his blatant sister about Wesker. He smiled slightly and gave a short bow.

"If there's nothing unusual about me, then I guess you don't need to know. Of course, your... ever-so caring brother would do so to not remember me, now would he?" She gave a slight start and backed up towards the door.

"...Wesker?"

"Oh? He had told you all about me, hadn't he? Well, just the same. Assuming you figured out that I was the one who bombed this island, you have to reason else to know why I am here then. But I have one more surprise in store for your brother... when he decides to show up." He had now gotten close to her; he could smell her fear, and it pleased him to no end. What he wouldn't give to bring her back to his new employers and cut her up as he did so with that wretched hunter's woman after he left.

"What are you planning on doing?" Claire quipped as she slowly reached for a weapon, but Wesker was faster as he grabbed her wrist and with the other hand, grabbed her throat.

"Observing. We'll see how your brother reacts when he sees your mangled body on this island," he chuckled as he tossed her haphazardly to the bottom of the steps. She landed on her back, winded slightly. She could have sworn she heard footsteps from the darkness, but then Wesker was above her again.

"Why do you hate him so much," Claire managed to wheeze just before Wesker stomped on her torso, breaking more than a few ribs, taking pleasure in hearing her scream.

"Hey!" A cry from near the gate interrupted Wesker's fun as he rested his right boot on her stomach. He glared from behind his sunglasses as the hunter appeared.

Dante stopped quickly as he realized who was standing atop Claire. He defiantly looked into the antagonist's hidden eyes as his own shone crimson.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you big asshole, instead of a helpless woman." Dante growled as he walked towards the two, Steve behind him.

Wesker chuckled again. "You mean 'hopeless' right? Or are you just trying to replace your dead partner? Because believe me," he continued darkly, "this one will surely die, too."

"You bastard, she's only a child!" pure white bolts of energy formed around Dante as Alastor sang her song vividly. His hands, which held his favored guns, shook slightly as he approached Wesker and Claire. Wesker, in turn, lifted himself off the girl and scissor-kicked her to one side as she was attempting to sit up. She landed with a dull CRACK on the pavement. Steve ran out from behind the half-devil and rushed to Claire's side as the two older men locked gazes.

"I hadn't come alone, you know, Dante." Wesker began as two pairs of footsteps slowly closed the distance from the darkness. Dante gazed away from the other and went visibly pale. The first figure to emerge was a woman, tall, blonde and utterly gorgeous. Her glassy amber eyes shone demonically from behind long lashes. Wrapped in leather from a small choker around her neck to her high-heel boots, she carried a giant sword upon her back that Dante recognized as Sparda. The second form to emerge was an iridescent dark male. His cape fluttered behind him and his own silver hair was slicked back. Crimson eyes that were once a darker blue than Dante's shone brighter than his pale face. In his right hand was a weapon Dante could easily recognize: the pulse blade that his supposed brother carried as the Nelo Angelo.

"No," Dante whispered, and looked back at Wesker with more anger in his eyes than he had before. He had to time to brace as a right hook knocked him off-balance. He stumbled for a couple steps, vexed.

"You see, Dante, I had heard about you from my employers. It seems the blood that courses through your veins is the blood that began the research of the viruses. Hence, that is why these two are with me. They now WORK for me."

The woman stood next to Wesker, leaning her head onto his shoulder, giving Dante an icy glare. The half-devil could only stare, unaware of the fullbloods behind him anymore. He took a step back: confused, hurt, angry. "What did you do to them?" he whispered as he looked Nelo Angelo in the face, seeing only his brother.

"I made them mine, Dante. Made them mine with the sole purpose of taking you down. You see: I have outside powers that help me acquire what I want. Nelo Angelo, as he is so called, was given to me from the Eighth Circle of Hell. As I remember correctly, in 'Inferno' that is where the author and his guide went, am I correct?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? GIVE ME MY FAMILY BACK!" Dante screamed, took a few steps towards Wesker, and was stopped by Nelo Angelo. "Vergil?" The Dark Knight waved a finger in Dante's face and hit him back hard enough for Dante to sprawl onto the pavement.

"And now, as the Dante of yore had done, so, too will you. You shall be escorted by Vergil to the darkest depths of Hell." A small beep interrupted Wesker's speech and he glanced down at his wristwatch. He looked back at Dante and gently took Trish by the shoulder. "As much as I would like to stay and watch your demise, Mr. Hunter... I'm afraid my lovely lady and I have a small business meeting to attend to. Ta-ta." And with that, Wesker and Trish walked off, leaving Dante on his back looking up at his own brother.

Claire couldn't breathe without getting a stabbing pain in her sides. So she just lie on the pavement where she was kicked, Steve by her side.

"Here, Claire, take this," the boy whispered and handed her a mixture of the red and green herbs. She gave a strangled gasp and placed the mix where it was needed. It wasn't much but it did dull the pain so she could sit up slightly.

"What the fuck are you talking about? GIVE ME MY FAMILY BACK!" she heard Dante scream and sat up suddenly, watching as he landed hard on the pavement... watching as a tall, dark figure stood over him... watching as Wesker took off with Dante's partner... just... watching...

It looked to her that Dante was holding back all he wanted to do: that he wouldn't—no—couldn't attack his antagonist. It was as if he didn't want to. She was brought back to her senses by Steve's touch, and looked up at his concerned face.

"You okay there?"

She managed a nod. "And you?" she uttered. Steve nodded. "Dante talked to me about it. But..." he looked back at Dante and the Nelo Angelo. "I think it'd be a good idea if we got back to the Mansion or someplace safe." Claire nodded and began to force herself up, but then she heard a short cry and watched in horror as Dante fell, sliding off the Nelo Angelo's blade. Energy pulsated around them as the Dark Knight came closer to them, and Steve brought out his guns, ready to shoot—knowing full well that he wouldn't survive an attack but—to save Claire. He picked her up as gently as he could and tried to distance them from the Nelo Angelo, but the guy was heading at a faster pace.

"Steve—forget about me, go!" Claire said frantically as the pulse blade was raised above their heads, Steve and her backed into the wall. The boy opened fire, which didn't seem to hurt the Dark Knight as much as the shot that rang out from behind and lodged its bullet in his side. He turned to look, and as Claire peered around behind, she let out a breath that was held in since Dante was run through. He was standing again, one of his two guns hot and smoking... and he just smiled... sadly.

'It has to end,' he thought as he brought himself up slowly, the enlarged wound healing as quickly as his devil-blood would allow. Staggering to his feet, he couldn't help but notice that his brother was turned towards the fullbloods. It was a weak spot Vergil always had. Dante slowly brought out Ivory and targeted the Nelo Angelo with the sight. 'Leave them alone, you bastard.' He cursed as he pulled the trigger. Ivory kicked slightly in his hand, the loud Crack of the gun barely touching his ears as he concentrated on distracting Nelo Angelo to let Steve and Claire get to safety. He knew he'd join up later. It was just a hunch.

His brother turned his attention toward Dante, and he just stood there. As the Nelo Angel pivoted his body to face Dante, he and Claire made eye contact. 'Get out of here!' he pleaded in his thoughts, hoping beyond all hope that she'd get his message. But, distracted for that one second, Nelo Angelo lunged, swinging outwards. A stream of blood flowed from the younger of the two brothers and Dante was left to face reality. He'd have to fight Vergil to the end.

Dante jumped back and unsheathed Alastor, the sword singing in his hand. His ice blue eyes glistened as he swung her, pivoting on his right foot. Alastor made contact with the pulse blade with a spark and Dante swung again, placing both hands on her hilt and hitting Nelo Angelo's side with a full force. The Nelo Angelo stumbled back, if only a few steps, before he gathered dark energy. He aimed his open palm at his brother and a black magic beam exited from his body and grazed Dante, as the younger dodged to the side and lunged at him. As Dante was about to strike, Nelo Angelo disappeared, reappearing at another part in front of the mansion.

"You bastard." Dante breathed as he Triggered, the pulse of Alastor hot in his veins, "my brother or no, you've wronged me too many times to count in the past year. It has to end!" Dante quickly covered ground as he repeatedly hit Nelo Angelo with a Stinger attack until the Dark Knight smacked the younger away with a hard right. After stumbling slightly, Dante decided to use the Martial Arts he was so bad at... combined with the techniques of Alastor and his favored guns. The younger lifted his right leg up slightly, and pivoted with his left for a double roundhouse aimed at Vergil. Though, instead of the older being hit by the attack, he caught the younger's leg, proceeding to twist. Dante clenched his teeth and pushed off with his free leg and kicked Vergil in the face. He let go and both went down, Dante tucking under and rolling to a stand as he brought out Ebony and Ivory. His eyes held in any emotion as he shot repeatedly at the downed warrior. He only stopped once, letting Nelo Angelo stand again, then commenced firing once more.

After dodging a final spray of bullets, Nelo Angelo swung with his mighty sword, opening an older wound on Dante's midsection. A curt scream and the Trigger wore off, but Dante wasn't about to give up then. To him, the real fight had just begun. He gripped Alastor tightly again after placing his guns in their holsters, and lunged, striking Vergil's leg, who stepped away from the attack. The older, in turn, swung his blade again, only to have it defended by Alastor. Two more times being defended and Dante swung fiercely, the blade of Alastor shining, flowing into Nelo Angelo's torso with a clean, yet sickening, spurt. Dark, crimson liquid poured from the deep gash and Nelo swung sloppily, Dante able to cut his defenses and perform Stinger, stabbing repeatedly into the wound he had just created. He then pulled off a brutal combo of kicks and sword techniques that would kill an ordinary human, but only found himself fazing Vergil more than he anticipated. As the Dark Knight fell back, a piece of older, dusty debris found itself lodged in the puncture-wound from the Stinger.

Dante stood overhead, watching as his brother lay there.

"If you're still in there, bro... I'm sorry," was all he said as he raised Ivory to Nelo Angelo's head, but the Dark Knight had a better idea to end his life. Black magic formed around the Dark Knight as he powered up for his final attack. Dante, a small twinge of fear in his cold, blue eyes, cocked Ivory and held a shaking hand in its position.

Nelo Angelo, after gathering all of his remaining energy, formed the power into a compact ball between the brothers. 'If I can't beat him this time in battle,' he thought morbidly, 'I can take him down with this.'

Steve placed Claire in the secretary's chair on the second floor, looking around for something more to stabilize her.

"Are you sure you're okay, Steve?" Claire asked hesitantly, noticing him frantically looking for more medical supplies for her external wounds. Nothing could be done for her broken ribs, only hoping they didn't puncture her lungs. But if they did, he was sure she would have been dead by now. "Steve?" she called again. The boy looked at her and smiled with one corner of his mouth, then continued searching. He opened a box in the corner and picked out a bottle of antiseptic, a few gauze balls and Band- Aids of all sizes.

"Thank you Alfred for not having a stupid secretary," Steve breathed as he placed the items on the cluttered desk, in front of an old typewriter. "Let me see your leg, first."

"Why?"

"Back when we were in... you were caught under stuff and couldn't free yourself. Does it hurt?"

Claire shook her head. "Not as much as everything else."

"I can't fix the ribs." Steve said softly. Claire nodded slowly and tried to reach for the supplies but glanced at her wrist instead. Where Wesker had grabbed her had left red marks. She supposed on her neck as well. "What did he do to you before we arrived?" Steve replied darkly. Watching her gaze at her wrist. "He didn't... you know..."

Claire had to laugh, even if it wasn't funny. They'd known each other only a few long hours, and he was concerned for her. "No, he just kicked me around a bit, telling me how much he hates my brother."

"The prick."

"Speaking of you two..." Claire pondered, "I wonder about Dante."

At that time, they both heard a deafening explosion and a rumbling was felt. So fierce that they had to scramble underneath the cramped desk in case any debris — or the ceiling – decided to fall upon them. After the explosion, however, was silence. And then......

"Something's coming inside!" Steve whispered as he crawled out from underneath the desk. Claire followed, and even though she was injured, she still moved smoothly, taking in the pain as a new strength. The door downstairs slammed shut and they heard a single footstep and nothing more. "I'm going down to see who – or what -- it is." He continued.

"I'm going with you."

'Stubborn woman!' Steve's mind screamed. He ignored it and nodded, opening the door slowly. They tiptoed through the half-opened door and peered downstairs.

It was over... as Dante had promised himself. The tears blended in with the rain that had begun to fall as Nelo Angelo engaged his final attack. The pulse blast was enough to kill him, but with the virus not allowing the younger to die, there Dante stood, injured greatly, but still alive. As the rain fell, he dragged himself towards the mansion, hoping for dry heat and first aid.

The blast had temporarily blinded and deafened him, so he groped his way along the ground, further blending the blood into the dirt onto his clothes.

Red haze covered his eyes and that was all he could see.

Silence was thick and that was all he could hear.

The rain poured down. And as Dante found his shelter, he lay down and lost consciousness.