Action has been a little slow so far but things are about to speed up. So stay tuned. Just so you have a mental image, Dante's bike is like Cloud's one in FF7 Advent Children, only in dark red and black.
Chapter 3: You got the wrong man.
Harry considered the last words the mysterious man said: " I recommend you leaving by the back door".
Had he been an enemy he would of already acted, in a way or another. Right now, Voldemort's clan kind of lacked subtlety in it's methods: killing sprees, kidnapping, full public murders ( that left no witnesses). An ambush was unlikely. He decided to follow the man's advice and leave using the back door. As he went towards it, no one gave him a second look. They just kept going on at their activities. As he opened the back door, he heard the front one open. Quickly, he went through and almost closed it behind him. Through the small opening, he could see the two men who came in. The first one seemed high on the testosterone, being tall, with a lot of muscle. He had short straight hair which had an odd grey colour, not without reminding the colour of a wolf pelt. He wore a dark leather jacket with dark jeans. His physique wasn't without reminding him of the post bite Bill. Damn a werewolf ! That was a problem. He knew Voldemort had a few under his order.
The other one was quiet different: He was tall but not nearly as muscular as his companion. He had long black hair that went a bit down on his also black jacket. He had dark sunglasses that really contrasted with his pale white skin.
They were both launching predatory looks around the pub, apparently looking for someone. One of the waitresses went to see them.
- Good morning, do you want a table ?
The thinnest looked at her, giving her a small smile before answering:
- Thanks, we are looking for a friend of ours. Maybe you've seen him. He's young. Got black hair, gigantic glasses, some funny scar on his forehead..
Harry knew the man was talking about him. He'd better not stay around.
- Oh yes, he was here a couple of minutes ago. He must have left barely a few moments ago. Bad luck, you seem to have just missed him.
The thin man still kept his smile, apparently trying to charm the waitress.
- Oh well, we'll go then. We might be still able to catch him. Have a nice day.
As the waitress went away, he gave her a lustful look. His friend seemed to notice.
- We've got a job to do. It's not time to think about food.
The thin man just answered him with a disappointed look before leaving the pub.
Harry knew he'd better go far from here very quickly. They looked like the sort you'd rather not mess with. Well, unless you had a deathwish or some very big powers. Neither of which Harry had.
The train was about to start and Hermione and Ron had no trouble finding a place in the half empty train. Seemed like attendance wasn't going to be all that high this year. Hermione presumed that parents weren't all willing to have their children away from them during this crisis period. Hogwarts had lost its sanctuary reputation. People weren't even guarantied safety their according to them. That despite Fudge putting over 30 aurors to guard the school. Even her parents were very nervous about sending her away. She had convinced them by saying that she was probably far safer in Hogwarts with its 30 aurors than in London with its repetitive multiple murders.
They finally chose an empty compartment and settled down there. Ron put his luggage on the overhead bin before settling down.
" I hope classes won't be too full this year.
- Very funny Ron. People are compromising their education by not coming, you realise that.
- Probably feel safer at home. Can't blame them with what happened really.
- You know they are not any safer at home.
- I know, I know. But screwed for screwed, they might as well spend their last days in family.
- Boy, you're an optimist Ron.
- It's a bit hard to remain positive with Dumbledore dead, Voldemort free and roaming, Snape going rogue, and Harry still missing.
Hermione saw Ron realising that mentioning Harry was a bad idea. Ginny's face expression turned very gloomy. She was probably very worried for him. She had hopped until the last second he would somehow come. But this hoped got broken at this precise second where the train left. There was no way Harry would come now.
Ealsewhere…
- Damn, where is that bloody Rooster's Street ?
Dante was looking at the map but couldn't find the damn place. Devil and Angel, a local pub owned by one of Enzo's contacts. He told Dante it was on Rooster's street, at London eastend, but Dante couldn't find it. This was really starting to piss him off ! He didn't like leaving his bike alone too long without his surveillance. Not that he feared of having it stolen. More to the fact that Cerberus that was guarding it might simply annihilate anyone getting to close to it. And that place. Something was very wrong about it. It seemed gloomy and cold. Dante could even see his breath, which, in December, would be perfectly expected, but in the beginning of September ! Looking down on the puddles, he could see they had frozen.
- RUN DANTE !
What ? Dante turned around. That voice, it was so familiar. Despite that, there was no one there.
- You mustn't come out !
Dante kept looking around, but the street was entirely desert, save for Dante himself.
- No matter what happens keep hiding…
That was his mother's voice. Dante started showing signs of confusion.
- Dante
He drew Ebony and Ivory, his dual handguns. If some fucking daemon was messing with his mind, he was gonna pay it.
- You mustn't….
It was getting colder. Yes, that was not natural.
- AAAAA!
That scream, his mother's scream, it almost terrorised Dante. He began seeing dark creatures under black cloaks circling him. That, he could deal with.
- Hey pals, you're wasting you're time. You got the wrong man. It's a small guy who's got your bosses ring. He's usually found around the shire. I'd start searching there if I were you. Ask for Frodo Baggings.
The second class Nazghul didn't seem to understand Dante taunting. Looking closer, Dante thought they reminded him more of the sins back at Mallet Island that Saurons slaves in The Lord of the Rings movies. Either way, they were dead.
Before any could react, Dante jumped backwards opening fire with his weapons.
BULLET TIME !
Dante started shooting like crazy on the creatures filling them all with lead. Only one went down. The others tried to approach him. He understood he had to change strategy.
- What, don't like my two pals ? Then let me present you Beowulf !
The Beowulf gauntlets and boots materialised themselves on Dante. They were the only weapons he could carry without them revealing themselves until he needed them. The other difference with other devil arms was that, in opposite of them that more ( like Nevan) or less (like Alastor) willingly obeyed him, Beowulf had being killed by Vergil before being changed into a weapon. It was his soul, but he was dead. Just as well, Dante didn't think he would be that glad to serve the "seed of that excrement Sparda."
DULL!
They all tried to jump on him. Bad plan. Dante concentrated his strength and hit the ground real hard with his left fist.
- GO TO HELL !
The volcano technique send shockwaves of light into the hooded daemons that sent them flying all around the street.
CRAZY !
He didn't leave them the time to recover that he charged the closest Nazghul doing him an Real Impact before beating the crap outa him in mid air
BLAST !
. From there he did a diagonal on one the remaining creatures, annihilating him with the Killer Bee.
ARE YOU READY !
The last creature nearly got him by behind but Dante did a circular kick, destroying the last one with it.
SWEET !
Dante looked around the street for any remaining creature but saw none. Just when things were getting fun. It's always like that. Beowulf dematerialised leaving a regular looking Dante.
Now, where the hell is that bloody pub ?
Dante hadn't had the time to think about that that something jumped on him from behind.
A deep sinister voice went " They're dead."
He turned and found one of the Nazghuls was on him trying to get near it's obscured face close to Dante's.
"Sparda's human… women"As he was being drawn he could feel the creature trying to absorb something out of his body: his soul.
" All of them ?" This time, it was another voice, a voice Dante new far to well: Mundus.
It was like the soulstealers back at Temen-ni-gru only, they didn't mess up his mind like that.
" I killed all of them".
Enraged by these memories, the devil inside Dante showed it's face. He devil triggered, sending the thing in the air before Dante shot it with electric bolts from E and I. It vanished like the others once dead. Dante turned back human, but kept his guns out until he judged the coast was clear.
Devils running free in the streets of England. No wonder they decided to call him for assistance. Maybe that dark wizard wasn't such a loser as Dante thought he was. Either way, he was heading for a world of pain once Dante found him.
Leaving the place, Dante never noticed the shadowy figure observing him from the roof of one of the building.
" So the turmoil of England has attracted you, like a moth to a fire. You are so predictable Dante. You have not brought our father's legacy with you I see. Very well. With you here, who is going to stop me from taking it back."
The shadowy figure went away, leaving the dark knight to his hunt.
It had taken him over ten minutes to find the street, but he finally found it. Well, he found the pub anyway. The street's name was actually Goose's street. You could reeeeally count on Enzo to give right directions.
The place was rather cool. Good metal music, pool tables, slot machines, pressurised beer, Dante suddenly felt at home. There was just a barman behind the table. A bit chubby, bold, middle aged Indian person as far as he could tell.
- Well well, judging by the weird clothing you're wearing, I'd say you're Enzo's pal.
- We'll say that. Meanwhile, I'd like a beer, just had a tough fight.
- Yeah, there's some freaky ass shit going on here right now. People missing, some found dead later. Even the Russian Mafia controlled Moscow seems safe compared to here.
Saying that, the waiter poured some Guiness into a beer glass.
- By the way, Enzo never told me your name. I'm Ashim Rushdie.
- Dante Sparda, pleased to meet you. I'm kinda here because of the freaky ass shit. I specialise in it.
- So I was told. I'm even starting to believe some of the things said in the streets are true.
That caught Dante's attention. If people started noticing the supernatural, then things were getting real ugly.
- What sort of thing ?
- Vamps, werewolves, crazy cults. Some guy said he even saw those things that hunt Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies.
So, he wasn't the only one they attacked. That meant they weren't probably after him specifically.
- That was the tough fight I mentioned.
The barman looked at him with some sort of disbelief.
- What were they, some wackoes or something.
- You don't wanna know. Anyway, have your heard of some guy named Voldemort.
- Nope, doesn't ring a bell..
- The dark lord maybe ?
Ashim looked thoughtful.
- Yeah, I think I heard one of my clients mention him. Was drunk before even coming in here. I had to kick him out because he sounded like a doomsday prophet saying the dark lord had returned and some other crap. You mean this guy is real ?
- Yup, like you and me. This nutter case is after some kid called Harry Potter. Ever heard of him?
- Sorry never heard of him either.
Dante took a sip of his beer. This talk would take a long time.
So, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry to the HP hardcores for calling the dementors Nazghuls, but that's what they remind Dante of. Just so you know, the two new characters Harry sees are my own creation ( slightly based on Kadaj's gang I'll admit).
Other thing, all fights involving Dante will have the style gauge. ( D C B A S SS SSS).
Sorry in advance to the Vergil fans, but his role will be small, his actions only introducing a future fiction I'll be writing.
