Hey, I'm back!
I haven't updated in like a year. Truth is, this chapter was my roadblock. The next few chapters are halfway done, but I just couldn't nail this one. I've gone through no joke like 12 drafts and changes, and I'm finally content with it.

A certain special edition got me motivated enough to finish it, and i don't think i'd have been happy with what i released a year ago. Hope people who are still around enjoy it ^_^

31 January 6:41pm

Cyra absentmindedly walked back into the bookstore, heading straight for the phone, hoping to dial the phone number for the police, only to realize what that meant. She would have to talk to the police. She was a witness - a victim, who had to go through questioning, perhaps interrogation in order to find the suspect that killed the two attackers. It was still a murder. The police didn't yet care about the fact that she was attacked first. Cyra lowered the phone from her ear and set it back onto the base, and unplugged the cord from the back, dropping the baseball bat on the floor in the process. The sound of the metal clanging against the wooden floor echoed around her, somehow calming her. She somehow felt safer with her phone disconnected. Someone else could call them. A passerby! It was an active enough street. It was only a matter of time before someone saw their corpses.

Vergil closed the door behind him but didn't advance further into the bookstore. The first thing he noticed were two metal baseball bats in the corner by the door, matching the one that fell to her side. Looks like she traded books for metal as a barricade. It still wasn't a proper lock, but perhaps a metal barricade is even better - at least for when she was inside. Vergil did the honor of taking one of the bats from the corners to shove it through the handle, barring the door. He also noticed the curtains nailed over the windows. When did she have time to do all this? It's barely been two days since he's last been here. Did she already have these supplies? Did she leave to buy them? No, she was at her wits end at this point. She was too scared to leave, he knew it, at least long enough to go shopping. Then he wondered who would have gotten the supplies and was admittedly jealous that he wasn't the one that was asked.

A high pitched scream was heard outside, "Help! Someone call the police!" The woman's voice from outside yelled. Cyra relaxed a bit, just relieved that someone else would be making the call to alert the police. If anything, the scream made her tension dissipate slightly.

Vergil inspected what was visible of her face for a bit before his eyes drifted to the framed photo of her and Gabriel and noticed how it was facing up to be displayed. He recalled only ever seeing it faced down. He also quickly noticed that the reflection of the glass to protect the photo was gone. It didn't take much to realize that's the glass Cyra cut herself on. What could be an accident was more curious to him at that moment, all recent things considered. He let his eyes glance back down to her bandaged hand before Cyra spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

"I wish you didn't kill them…" Cyra muttered. Vergil narrowed his eyes, though she couldn't see. Her hand was still resting on the phone; eyes glued to it.

"They were going to hurt you," Vergil said.

"You don't... know that," Cyra said, for some reason. She knew they would.

Oh, he didn't? He knew more than she did, "What else would they have done? Politely rob you and then be on their way?"

"Maybe!" Cyra said out of reflex, and finally removed her hand off the phone as she turned to Vergil, but still avoiding eye contact, "I don't know...I could've handled it!"

Like she could have handled it the first two times? Vergil remembered dealing with Frederick once, and then Dante dealing with him a second time. "At what point were you handling it?" Vergil asked.

Cyra scoffed. She knew he was right, but she didn't like feeling insulted, "Killing Frederick, fine, but that second man… He was begging for you to-… The police could have just arrested him!"

"He would've said anything so I would spare him. Just so he could escape the police and attack you again. Do you want that?" Vergil asked.

"Maybe he was being honest!" Cyra said, finally looking at him.

"You believe his word?" Vergil asked.

"I don't know…" Cyra said.

"I overheard their talk of wanting to rob you. They seem to think you have supplies worth stealing and perhaps sell, what with being 'Panacea' and all. I warned them to stay away, yet they didn't. They would have never stopped," Vergil explained, calmly.

"Killing Frederick alone would've sent a message to stay back! Maybe everyone else worked for him!" Cyra said.

Vergil hated hearing the attacker's name as if Cyra was defending him, "Humans' only source of power is in the form of paper, and people like them will go through whatever means necessary to achieve it. A dead leader only means another will take his place," Vergil said.

"Yeah, well, when it comes to power, you would know..." Cyra muttered, immediately regretting it.

Vergil let out a dark chuckle, "So that's what this is about."

Cyra froze, "Well? Y-you said you want to deal with past consequences, but how can you do that if you keep... killing people?"

"Doing so doesn't involve letting you be murdered. I'd kill anyone to save you," Vergil said quietly.

Cyra looked away, biting the inside of her cheek, "I didn't ask you to…"

"You wouldn't ever have to ask me to…" Vergil said.

Cyra continued looking away, afraid to lock eyes with him. Knowing full well that if she did, she'd agree and let him do whatever he wanted. But it wasn't that simple. Dante thanked Cyra for helping Vergil, but she wouldn't be helping him by enabling him, "I won't thank you for it."

"Being alive is all the thanks I need," Vergil said.

"Just promise me you won't anymore," Cyra said.

Vergil couldn't agree to that. He wouldn't kill people for the fun of it, but if it meant protecting her, then he'd do whatever it took. Probably not what she wanted to hear, "You know I can't make that promise," Vergil said.

"Please, Vergil, you can't kill people, even for me…" Cyra said.

Vergil scowled, "Why are you fighting my trying to protect you so much? Is it about humans?"

This caused Cyra's eyes to snap to his, unable to control it, "You can't just do whatever you want, Vergil! Not anymore! I don't care if it's for me… They're people, too, even criminals like Frederi-!"

"Stop saying his name," He nearly growled, interrupting Cyra, "Do you expect me to stand and watch as someone kills you?" Vergil asked, getting angry at the thought.

Cyra scrunched her eyes together, "No! I just… I don't know!"

"Do you believe killing those two will make me relapse and want to kill other humans? Is that what you're worried about?" Vergil asked with a raised brow. He was trying not to get offended before he heard her whole defense.

Cyra didn't respond at first, "That's not it…"

"This may come as a shock to you, but I never killed humans out of enjoyment. They were just… casualties," Vergil explained awkwardly, furrowing his eyebrows. For once, he felt unable to properly convey his thoughts, "Not excusing my past actions, but you seem to have my motives confused."

"Are you serious right now!?" She breathed out. Was he defending his actions?

Vergil shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't coming out right, "Don't misunderstand my statement."

"Can't misunderstand you defending murder," Cyra spat.

Vergil sighed, "Please, take a second to realize what I'm saying."

Cyra just glared even when she realized who she was really mad at. She wasn't mad at him, "You wouldn't justify them murdering me, right? Even though they had a purpose to rob me. Huh?" Cyra asked.

Vergil could have snapped, but he had to remain calm, even if anger was still blatant on his expression, "Do you even hear yourself? Between this and trying to kill that sorceress on your own, I can't believe how stupid you can be at times," Vergil said.

"I'm not… stupid…" Cyra muttered weakly, still glaring.

Vergil tried his hardest to stay calm, but the reality of the situation was far too serious. He needed to knock sense into her. No longer able to hold back, he shook his head, "You don't listen... You constantly put yourself in danger… You make reckless decisions on your own. For what!? What will finally make you realize your stubbornness will get you killed!" Cyra bit the inside of her cheek and had to look away before she ended up saying something she didn't want to, but Vergil pressed on, "Well? Is death what it'll take?"

Her eyes started to sting with frustration, "God! Everything I've done was for you, you jackass!" Cyra yelled and hit him in the chest, "Call me stupid all you want, but if you can't realize that my reckless, stubborn shit is the only reason you're cured right now, then you're just as stupid as you think I am!" She yelled, hitting him once more, Vergil not even flinching.

"I realize that, but what's the point if you're dead too!?" Vergil asked.

"Why do you care so much!?" Cyra yelled.

"I've lost enough, I don't want to add you to that list!" Vergil said, voice raised.

"I was useless on my own! Alright? It was a mistake for Dante to come to me. I had to risk my life, because if I didn't, you would have died, and I don't want to lose you either!" Cyra shouted.

"Your life is much more valuable than mine..." Vergil said.

"Not to me!" Cyra said.

"How can you say that? You know exactly what I've done! Either through a memory or a story, yet you either turn that into sympathy or compassion!" Vergil asked.

"God, you don't get it!" Cyra yelled before he could say more.

"I get how you've been acting differently since you saw a memory from 2 decades ago, and I don't need that in the back of your head when you look at me!" Vergil said.

"You have no idea what that memory made me feel!" Cyra said, shaking.

"Well, then spit it out so I don't have to feel like I'm pulling teeth with you!" Vergil said.

"I didn't care, okay!?" Cyra snapped, and forced herself to calm down before she elaborated.

Vergil wasn't sure when he lost control, but he only realized they were both shouting at each other when they stopped. He wasn't even sure how the conversation turned the way it did. He was angry. Terrified, if he were being honest. All those times Cyra could have almost died sickened him, even more so knowing that she was willingly doing so for his sake. His heart was beating quickly, thankful that the parasite was no longer in his system to take advantage of that, for this conversation would have been cut short. Vergil never got angry enough with someone to spill his thoughts. He was always in control of himself. He made sure of it. After being enslaved to Mundus for so long, he valued his self control more than he ever thought possible.

Cyra exhaled, voice low. It was shaky due to her emotions, but she was no longer shouting, "I don't… care, not anymore," She didn't know where to begin, so she started to ramble to fill the dead air. Vergil needed to hear this, "When I first saw Amelia's memory, I felt exactly the way she did. I was angry… I wanted revenge? That's how her tethers work; we know this. A-and my brain keeps reminding me of all the evil you've done, and all the pain and death that I saw because of you and that stupid tower, but only because I feel like it should bother me? But it doesn't. Do you know what that means for me? I'm a doctor, Vergil. A human! I saw corpses, on top of corpses… I'm supposed to care about things like that, and I'm supposed to be afraid of you or hate you, but I just can't! If it were someone else, I would despise them and want them dead, but... I even find myself making excuses for you. You were misguided, angry... and then I try to convince myself THAT'S wrong, but eventually I realize I just don't care… Because the man who was standing at the top of the tower, and who wanted their own humanity so desperately destroyed, is the same man who bought me a goddamn blueberry sundae and took me to watch the sunset," Cyra cried and paused. She had to remember to breathe so she wouldn't have a panic attack on top of her meltdown. She exhaled slowly, "I know that's not you anymore… So I can't hate you… Even if it means pretending you've never done anything wrong. You're not the problem here, Vergil, it's me. God, I know that sounds so cliche, but it's true. I'm mad at myself. I don't care that you killed Frederick and the other guy. I really don't. I don't want you to kill people, but I'm glad you killed those two. But what does that mean for me? Does that make me... heartless? Inhumane?" She stopped, almost spitting out the part about wanting to help him, but thought that might just insult him.

Vergil knew he wasn't the right person to ask, but he also knew it didn't matter and that she just desperately had to hear some sort of validation, "Not to me," He said honestly, unintentionally repeating words she yelled to him earlier. In fact, she was the least heartless person he's met his whole life, outside of his mother, but he knew saying that wouldn't have meant much coming from him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you before. I tried to last night, but I didn't know how. The memory is still so new, and I'm still trying to process everything. A lot has happened in the last two days, but I haven't really slept, so I had some time to think about it. Turns out it's better just to blurt stuff out, anyway," Cyra said.

Vergil nodded, still processing what she just admitted to him. As sloppy and broken as it was, it came from the heart without any careful wording to possibly disguise the truth. She cared as much for him as he hoped she did, even if it scared her. Or him. He didn't know if he wanted to tell her she was a fool, kiss her, or that he loved her, which would have been absurd, but his emotions were rather high for once. He felt a bit uneasy at that last thought the more he lingered on it, but he tried to focus back on what she said. He wasn't sure where to begin either, so he started speaking slowly, "You continue to surprise me."

Cyra looked up, hoping he'd continue, but their conversation was interrupted by the sudden red and blue lights from a cop car shining through the gap in the curtains that were covering the windows to the outside. Their bodies were facing each other, but their attention was turned to the windows momentarily, remembering the events from only moments ago. Cops were quick for once, Cyra thought.

"There's the backdoor you can leave through if you want…" Cyra said quietly, still looking towards the outside.

Vergil observed her a bit before responding.. Her suggestion to leave was only of courtesy, but he didn't feel right leaving her alone at that moment, especially after their argument, "Do you want me to leave?" He asked softly.

Crya slowly shrugged, "I don't know."

"Is it alright if I stay?" He asked.

Cyra looked up at him for a moment and nodded. She moved closer to the window and peeked through the opening of her new curtains she nailed to the walls.

There were two officers that stepped out of a single police car. An older gentleman with a mustache, perhaps the most stereotypical cop she could imagine. The other looked to be around her age and blonde. He looked familiar. Perhaps she's met him. She sat down on the thin windowsill, yet wide enough for her to sit on it to observe the police officers at work. It was then she decided she was going to keep quiet and she was glad for it. The thought of being face to face and having to explain what happened made her shiver.

Vergil walked to look through the window on the opposite side of the bookstore, also careful not to be seen, however his attention was all on Crya. Looking at her and recognizing how quickly their argument stopped was a strange feeling to him. It was like the argument itself didn't matter, just that there were things that needed to be said to each other. At the end of the day, it wouldn't hurt their relationship - or whatever they had, maybe even strengthen it…. A relationship, he repeated in his head. What a strange feeling, he thought. He wished they could have communicated better, but if shouting is what it took, then so be it. There was a good chance the conversation would just continue after the police left, albeit much more calmly.

After all, there were plenty of things that haven't been said yet. He could tell by her apprehension, but there was also plenty he still needed to say to her.

There was still so much to do and they've had no leads to find the illusive sorceress. Though while they were waiting, she was probably getting that much stronger. Things had to be done quickly, but the quicker it does, the sooner he'd have to leave to the demon world. Dante was right, Cyra at least deserved to know what Vergil's intentions were, even if it wasn't going to happen for a while. He had to go back to the demon world. He had to, he told himself.

They sat in silence, Cyra staring at the officers. A few times they would shine their flashlights through windows, so she would move back to avoid being seen. They knocked on the door once, but Cyra nor Vergil did anything to respond to it.

Vergil found it hard to tear his eyes away from her. If it were up to him, no one would have called the police, but he realized she still had a sense of justice. Of course it had something to do with her living her life as a human, being conditioned into calling the authorities for help, but he had a feeling it was because of Gabriel being a police officer, as well.

"I know one of them," Cyra mumbled quietly, "He was a friend of Gabriel's. Nathan. I went to his birthday parties. Gabriel never liked when I drank alcohol, so Nathan offered to buy me a drink once," She said, "I wonder if he'd recognize me," She wasn't sure why she said that. Truthfully, she didn't care, but her emotions were running high.

Vergil figured that story wasn't meant to be heard by anyone, and that it was a revelation she just needed to say out loud, regardless if she was alone or not. It was the first time he heard her saying something about Gabriel in a less than stellar tone. She always spoke of him fondly, almost dreamlike, but the new statement was said so passively like he was just a regular person in her past. It could have been how she was feeling at the time, but there was a chance Vergil heard the first actual negative aspect of their marriage. He wasn't sure how much Cyra liked drinking alcohol, anyway. He only saw her drink once in the few weeks he's known her, but it wasn't much. It was an aspect he was interested in exploring, but he found himself agreeing with Gabriel's distaste for that bad habit. Which only led him to think about this Nathan. Maybe Gabriel's dislike for alcohol was unreasonable and Nathan was just being kind to Cyra, who he could have considered a friend. Or he was purposely going against Gabriel's wishes so that Cyra would like him instead. He heard one thing about this Nathan fellow and he already didn't like him. He had to remind himself that he couldn't get over protective, especially with a situation that had nothing to do with him.

Feeling restless, Vergil pushed himself off the wall and disappeared upstairs. Cyra didn't hear him move, and didn't realize how long he was gone for, but 20 minutes later, he came down holding two steaming coffee mugs. Brewing the coffee took him longer than he anticipated, but he was relieved to know that coffee machine technology hasn't changed much since he last used one. That or she just had an old coffee maker. He strolled closer to her and handed her one, "We could still be here a while."

Cyra looked between the mug and Vergil, who was sipping from his own mug. She reached up to grab the mug she was handed by him with two hands, appreciating how warm it felt. She stared down into the black coffee, not understanding why tears were welling up in her eyes. The stress of the situation must have crept up. Within the last hour she almost got mugged, raped, or killed, and witnessed two murders by none other than Vergil - the same man who just made her coffee.

Coroners and paramedics came by, taking care of the murder scene. Police officers spoke to the woman who found the dead bodies. She was frantic in her explanation, her voice wavering, although Cyra couldn't make out what she was saying. Cyra's eyes didn't leave the outside and even though the bookstore was eerily quiet, the silence wasn't uncomfortable. They both knew it was no time for conversation. They would just mutter a few sentences here and there. Mostly of Cyra occasionally narrating what was happening outside.

It was only when the police started to leave that she finally let the situation all sink in, "I'm sorry I got mad, or defensive, just…" She whispered. Vergil didn't respond, letting her continue, "I was scared, emotional, and I took it out on you. I could have done a better job communicating, but this isn't really something I've dealt with before so I didn't know how… I'm sorry."

Vergil nodded, acknowledging her explanation, even though he didn't need an apology. He watched her as she fought back tears, unable to look at him. His eyes glanced down to her hands holding the coffee mug, the bandage reminding him of the photo. There had to be a reason she had the photo up again, and why she thought to tell the story of that officer Gabriel knew. Once again, he started to feel insecure. What was he doing with her, anyway? She was a human, who deserved to have a peaceful life - one that he wouldn't be able to provide for her. The only reason she's in this mess in the first place is because of him. His life would always consist of fighting, and demons, and dealing with consequences for his past. It was bad enough she had to deal with it alongside him, yet now she was having an identity crisis over him - over HIS actions. She admitted to making excuses for him. It would have made his heart feel warm with love if it didn't make him feel so guilty. Guilt was a miserable feeling. His pursuit for power began because of guilt - guilt over not being strong enough to protect his mother.

Vergil was feeling restless again. He watched her face contort into sadness and grief and he hated that he was responsible for it. It would never end. Her life would be constant grief as long as he was in it. It wasn't fair to just call it being selfish and carry on. No, he cared about her far too much, unfortunately. This was more important than him. He didn't belong in the human world. He had to leave it - leave her, but he couldn't without saying anything to her. He inhaled deeply as he made a decision that ended up being much more difficult than he imagined. As if on cue, Cyra spoke up, "Before the police interrupted, was there something else you wanted to say?"

So much, Vergil thought, and even more now that he had some time to think about it. He didn't even know how, much like she didn't earlier. It just made him realize he was hard on her during a difficult situation that he didn't fully understand, and he felt even worse about it. Sorry wouldn't cut it, "I don't know where to begin."

Cyra smiled, "Blurting things out seemed to work in my favor."

"This isn't something I can just blurt out," Vergil said.

"Try," Cyra suggested, "You always tell me to speak my mind."

Vergil knew that would be a horrible idea. He shook his head, "For starters, I didn't mean to call you stupid. I suppose this is new to me as well," Whatever this is, "It's just frustrating to see you willingly throw yourself into danger, especially for my sake," He couldn't stop himself from reaching a hand up to push some hair behind her ear, letting his hand rest on the side of her face. He wanted to say sorry. Sorry for what he said tonight and for what he was about to do.

Cyra smiled softly, mostly at his contact. It was amazing how sweet and gentle he could seem at times. A simple gesture like pushing hair behind her ears was probably a lot for someone like Vergil. She leaned her face more into his hand, "And you're not a jackass…" She said quietly, owning up to her own name-calling.

Vergil matched her soft smile, "Thank you for curing me."

"I was very happy to," She said quietly. Was he going to kiss her and put their argument behind them? He let his hand drop and took a few steps back, which disappointed Cyra.

Vergil wanted to tell her to 'take care' and walk out. It would be a nice ending, but he couldn't stop that empty feeling in his chest from surfacing at the thought of not being around her… After everything she said to him, he was going to throw it away. He frowned, but had to keep it together. After all, knowing she was living safely and happily would be a greater feeling than just being with her. Even after Amelia was killed, he'd have more threats - more demons, coming after him. Cyra would either be a target or meddle enough to become one. With how Cyra talked about her feelings for Vergil, it made him think that maybe Dante was right. Cyra didn't act like she knew he was planning on returning to the demon world. They never really talked about it, but surely she somehow knew...

Vergil crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against a bookshelf closest to him, feeling somehow defensive. He wasn't feeling very confident about where the conversation was about to go. "You know I'm going back to the Demon world, right?"

Cyra felt a quick pang in her heart, but played it cool, "Y-yeah… of course," She answered. Of course she knew, but it wasn't always on her mind. It felt like they were really starting to develop something together and assumed he'd stay with her, but she knew she was getting ahead of herself. God, Cyra, we only kissed! She tried to convince herself.

Vergil nodded, "Dante thought I should remind you…" He said quietly, not sure why he even said it.

Cyra smiled quickly, "You two talk about me?" She asked as playfully as she could, as if a way to hide her pain.

Vergil tore his eyes away from her and looked to the side, "He, uh… You came up," Vergil answered.

Was he nervous? Cyra wondered. He's only been nervous around her once before, and if the lighting was any better, she'd swear he was blushing a little bit. Cyra let out a chuckle, "Hah, well, yeah… I haven't really thought about it much, to be honest, but… I don't know, would you want to stay here in the human world?" Cyra asked.

Vergil brought his attention back to her. Was she just asking, or was it a request? There was much more to say. It wasn't just about the demon world, he had to be clear, "Cyra, I…." His heart started pounding when Cyra looked back up at him waiting for him to continue. Vergil exhaled sharply, not realizing he was holding his breath. Why was he so goddamn nervous? "My being with you… It's dangerous. We both know it. That sorceress is using that to her advantage..." He thought about how Amelia was using Gabriel's corpse as a puppet. It was absolutely bait for Cyra, yet she didn't know anything about that.

"So?" Cyra asked.

"You're already caught up in this, and I can't stomach the idea of you getting hurt because of me," Vergil explained quietly.

"We're equally in this. She hates me just as much," Cyra explained, shrugging lightly.

"Perhaps, but the more you associate with me, the worse off you are," Vergil said.

"Well, it's a little too late to be thinking about that, don't you think? Not that I mind..." Cyra said, "I like having you around… And she already knows about us, we can't exactly erase that from her mind."

She liked having him around… He felt a pang in his chest, momentarily wishing for a normal life, but he knew that'd never happen. He had to stay logical, "It won't end with her. There'll be more demons, some worse. You'll always be a target," Vergil said.

Cyra frowned, "So what are you trying to say?" She asked, afraid of the answer. Please don't leave, please don't leave, please don't leave! Cyra pleaded in her mind.

He had to say it. Just spit it out! He thought. He had to leave and never return, for her own safety…

Everything you said to me… makes me feel guilty. That evening we spent together…. I wish I could do that for you every day. I feel guilty because I want to be somebody important in your life. The one you can rely on, and trust unconditionally…. but how can I do that when I'm the reason you're in danger? I should never have let myself get this attached to you, but I couldn't seem to stay away… Until now. I'm not just any demon, Cyra. If I were, this wouldn't be a problem. That sorceress isn't after you. She's after me, but she knows she can use you against me, and she already has. Tormenting you with memories is only the beginning. It'll get worse from here, and I'd be the one to blame. I'm sorry.

Is what he wanted to tell her.

They both were startled at the sound of someone fervently beating on her door. Cyra didn't even think twice about opening the door, but Vergil had his hand on his Yamato ready. He didn't sense demon energy coming from the other side of the door. It had to be some human that he could easily overpower if he was a threat. Cyra removed the baseball bat from the door and pulled open the door just enough for whoever was on the other side to get the hint and pushed the door open with his weight, falling over in the process.

"Victor?" Cyra asked. What was he doing back here? Vergil relaxed slightly at the familiarity between them. Wasn't he the vendor selling her holy waters?

Victor recovered and stood up, out of breath, "Oh my god, you're alright…."

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

Victor put his hand on his knee and tried to catch his breath, "It's a long story, but some punks robbed me and I had nothing on me, but they found your shopping list and figured out where you lived… I saw the police, and assumed the worst, but when I figured the coast was clear, I had to make sure you were okay!" He explained.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Cyra confirmed, ready to speak again but Vergil spoke up.

"The same people who were stalking her for weeks somehow ran into you?" Vergil asked.

Cyra and Victor both looked over to Vergil, then looked back at each other, "Who's this guy?" Victor asked.

Cyra narrowed her eyes, "The guy who's going to help you. How did they know it was MY address?" She asked and stepped back. She knew she didn't put her name on it.

Victor sighed, "They knew I was selling your holy waters, so they just thought I was working with you and when they robbed me, they assumed the note was from you," Victor lied. He couldn't tell her that they paid him to check out her base. He was used to lying so it came out naturally, but he couldn't tell her the truth.

Cyra nodded, accepting the information, but Vergil was still glaring at him, not trusting him, "So are you okay?" She asked.

Victor nodded, "Eh, used to being pushed around. Just glad the cops weren't called cause they found you murdered or something…"

"Well, they did attack me, but…" Cyra stopped herself before she included Vergil in the story, "I fought them off and the police interfered before they could do anything…" She also lied.

Victor nodded, "Well hopefully that means they won't bother you anymore."

Cyra nodded in return, not sure of what to say. She let her eyes drift and noticed his dirty clothes, probably from when he got pushed over, "Oh!" She said quickly, startling Victor, "Your clothes are all dirty. I have some clothes that might fit you if you wanted?" She offered.

Victor blinked and stuttered a bit before he spoke, "I, uh… That'd be real nice of you," Victor said, astonished. Thinking back to earlier, how could a person this kind be his kid? There was no way.

Cyra smiled quickly and headed upstairs. Vergil kept his attention to Victor, eyeing his movements. Victor noticed and turned his attention to Vergil, eyeing him up. He wasn't really sure who he was, but he smirked and chuckled a bit, "Thanks for saving her, by the way."

"You saw," Vergil said. Why was he thanking him?

Victor nodded, "Took a bit for me to catch up, but I managed to see the end. I would have come here sooner, but was worried about someone else seeing me around dead bodies and then the police showed up… Had to tread carefully."

"So why feign surprise that she was alright?" Vergil asked.

"Used to playing an act, I guess. That and well, I had no idea who you were, so I was still a little concerned," Victor grinned.

Vergil glared, "And why shouldn't I be concerned about you?"

"You can trust me...whoever you are. I'm helping her relay info on Amelia so she can get that crazy bitch off my back. It's complicated, but I'm an ally…" Victor briefly explained.

Vergil knew something was off about him. His demon senses were weak, but he could sense something familiar about him. Cyra hasn't talked much about her family, but he could be connected. Either way, Vergil wasn't about to bring it up although he'd still keep a close eye on him. Back on topic, Vergil told himself, "Sounds like you made a deal with the sorceress," He taunted.

Victor stared at Vergil. The white hair, the strange clothes, the sword... He knew about Dante and probably saw him once or twice, but he's never met him, "You're that demon hunter guy aren't ya? That why you know about all this? Why you're hanging around with… Panacea?" Victor asked. He felt a little awkward using her alias.

Was he confusing him with Dante? Also, Panacea? He didn't even know Cyra's real name, "Not quite, but if it turns out you're aiding that sorceress, I'll make you wish she was the one that killed you. My method won't be pleasant," Vergil threatened.

Victor chuckled out of nerves, "I hear you loud and clear, demon guy."

Vergil's eye twitched at how casual he was being. Was he not taking him seriously? "I mean it, I-"

Cyra was then heard coming back down the stairs, silencing Vergil, "Alright, I grabbed a change of clothes. They're kinda big, but they're clean," She said and handed him a green sweatshirt and black pants, "Oh, and I brought you a blanket if you wanted to stay the night…"

"Really?" Victor asked. Vergil's reaction may as well have asked the same question.

"Probably not a good idea to be exposed to Amelia or anyone she knows right now…I have demon wards and talismans to protect the bookstore from demons, you'd be safe here," Cyra explained.

Vergil walked up close to Cyra enough for hopefully only her to hear. He lightly touched her arm, "May I speak to you privately?" He asked quietly through his teeth.

Cyra retracted her arm slowly and looked up at him, "Anything you want to say, you can say around our friend Victor," She looked concerned. She didn't want to make Vergil upset with her, but she wanted to help. Vergil loved her kindness when it was directed at him, but it made him worried when she showed it around other people. Not out of jealousy, he reasoned. He saw how others took advantage of her kindness, he just didn't want it to keep happening.

"Look, I don't want to cause any trouble," Victor said.

"You're not," Cyra reassured with a smile towards Victor before turning back to Vergil, "You can stay too, if you have a problem with it…."

Vergil realized what she was doing. It was all a ploy to make him stay. She knew he wouldn't want her to be alone with someone he didn't know or trust. He wanted to smirk at her childish game to keep him around, but she also clearly didn't understand the dangers of him being close to her…. Damn this woman, he thought equally fondly and frustrated, "Did you forget about what we talked about earlier?" He asked.

"Which part?" Crya asked.

"The getting yourself killed part," Vergil furrowed his brows.

Cyra glanced over to Victor, "The bathroom is right at the top of the stairs if you want to change," She said pointing to the stairs. Victor agreed, more so to give them privacy, and awkwardly walked between the two, avoiding eye contact with Vergil on his way to the room Cyra pointed at. She turned back to Vergil, "I trust him," she said.

"Like you trusted that sorceress? Like you trusted one of your attackers enough to give him medicine? How about-"

"Like how I trusted you fully knowing your history?" Cyra interrupted.

Vergil let out a quick chuckle, "Hm, proving my point," he mused.

"Yet here you are, not murdering me," Cyra crossed her arms, "Amelia is manipulating him as well. He helps us, we help him."

"So he says," Vergil added.

"Well like I said, if you have a problem with it, you can stay," Crya said.

He couldn't. He had to find some leads for the sorceress… Something. He couldn't wait around anymore. He wanted to stay so much, but the logic part of his brain was winning. It was feint, but Cyra's safety is what mattered most, "I'd love to play bodyguard, but I have to find a certain sorceress," He said.

"Let the others find Amelia! It's barely been a day since you've been cured, you still need to recover," Cyra said.

"We've already wasted enough time with no progress. We can't wait any longer while she's getting stronger," Vergil said, "I can't stay."

Cyra smiled sadly, "Just trying to go back to the demon world as quickly as possible, huh?"

Vergil sighed softly and slowly raised a hand, pausing for a moment before he fully reached to lightly grab Cyra's chin to make her look up at him, "You know…You hit me twice tonight. Were it anyone else, they'd have long been a corpse."

A certain sadness reached her eyes, even though she exhaled quickly, holding in a chuckle, "I know." Of course she knew.

Vergil let his hand drop. This was the perfect time to tell her what he wanted to, but he suddenly couldn't find the words, "You can be angry with me all you want, just tell me you understand."

Cyra tore her eyes away. She wasn't going to beg him to stay. There was no changing his mind, no matter what she said. Her eyes began to sting and her lip was threatening to quiver, "You said you'd protect me..." She didn't want to sound childish, but she couldn't help it. Her heart was shattering.

"I know. This is the only way," Vergil said.

Victor walked back downstairs and made the floorboard creak, gaining Vergil to turn his attention to him, while Cyra looked away, "Sorry, you two need more time?" Victor asked awkwardly.

Vergil walked towards the exit, toward Victor and stopped right in front of him, "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll cut off your other arm," He threatened angrily.

"Two threats in 5 minutes… Don't worry, I said I'm an ally," Victor confirmed

Vergil glanced once more at Cyra on his way out. Her head was still turned away, unable to see her expression.

Cyra heard the backdoor close, and she finally let out a few tears. Her heart felt broken; hollow. She believed Vergil with his intentions, but she wished it didn't have to be like that. Though expecting a normal life with someone like Vergil was asking a lot, she was willing to do whatever it took to get as close to possible as a normal life. Cyra walked over to plop down on the chair that Vergil normally sat in, wiping her tears as she walked. She regretted even saying anything to him, knowing her words skewed his thoughts and convinced him being apart was a good idea. Well, sure, it probably was for safety sake, but isn't the saying 'high risk; high reward'? Vergil said it was the only way, but that wasn't true. She was struggling to contain her emotions. The only thing she could do to make her not start bawling is remembering her parternship with Victor. If they worked together fast enough, they could stop Amelia before she did anything else, then there was a chance Vergil might change his mind. A better chance, at least.

"Uh, I can go now, if you want," Victor said.

Cyra peered over, not hearing what he said, "What?" She asked, pretending she wasn't crying.

"Hah, I know you were baiting him by asking me to stay."

Cyra was impressed by his observation skills. That or she was just being that obvious. Shit, that means Vergil definitely figured it out. She sighed, "Well, it didn't work, so you may as well stay," She dismissively offered.

Victor carefully walked over to the couch and sat down on it, but set the blanket off to the side, not planning on using it. He wasn't about to sleep on an old couch when he had a perfectly good bed 10 minutes away, but he wasn't going to leave just yet after studying Cyra's face. He'd feel awful leaving her like this. She was upset, and he wasn't sure how to approach this, "He's right, you know," Victor said, getting Cyra's attention, "You shouldn't really trust just anyone."

"I don't… trust just anyone," She answered quietly, "Just because I trust you doesn't mean i'm going to trust some random person off the street."

"Considering I work for your enemy, I'd say I'm worse than 'some random' off the street," Victor said.

"Well, now we work together, so what does it matter?" Cyra asked.

"Forced me by pointing a gun at me," Victor chuckled, laying down, finally getting more comfortable.

Cyra started to relax, "It wasn't loaded."

"What's the point of even having a gun, then?" Victor asked.

"Dante suggested I get one for myself a while back, so I eventually did. I know how to use one, but I'd rather not," Cyra said.

"Oh, that your boyfriend's name?" Victor asked referring to the man he saw earlier.

"No, that was Vergil - uh, I mean! No, he's not my boyfriend.. He, uh- it-it doesn't matter, especially not anymore," Cyra stammered awkwardly, face turning red. Oh gods, how could she think that? Not now, "Dante is a friend."

Victor chuckled. Oh yeah, boyfriend alright, "So what's the deal with you two, anyway?" He decided to ask.

"What makes you think there's a deal?" Cyra asked.

"I'm old enough to know a deal when I see one," He chuckled, "Plus your reaction just now kinda confirms it."

Cyra let her mouth turn up into a smirk quickly, relaxing, "Well to put it simply, I guess I just want there to be a deal, but he's found some reasons why there shouldn't be one."

"The way that guy got all protective over you the second I got here, the way he looks at you… I'm sure he has very good reasons to not pursue a "deal" with you," Victor said, leaving out that he saw Vergil save her earlier.

He did, to be fair, but she didn't like it. She felt there were better ways to handle it, but she wasn't in the mood to keep thinking about it. Cyra turned to look at Victor, "Are all men this confusing?"

Victor scoffed, "You think MEN are confusing!"

Cyra smirked, "I guess our situation is a little complicated…" That wasn't even scratching the surface.

"You're in batshit Amelia's mess, you're friends with demons, and you're the infamous apothecary 'Panacea'. I'd be more surprised to hear your life is normal after all this," Victor said.

"Cyra," Cyra said.

Victor looked over, with an eyebrow lifted.

"My name is Cyra. You don't have to call me by the public's nickname. I kind of hate it, anyway," She said.

"Well, believe it or not, my real name actually is Victor," He said.

Cyra smiled, "I kind of don't, but that's okay. It suits you!"

Victor let a soft smile rest on his face, "You're weird."

Cyra scoffed, "What?"

"Your sense of trust seems so random. I don't know what made you really trust me so much, because anyone in their right mind wouldn't, but I also find out you're friends with demons, have some crazy demon witch after you, and make medicine for humans for free? I don't understand you," Victor explained.

Cyra pondered for a moment, "I'm not sure why I trust you so easily either, but I think I reached the point that I'm so desperate to kill Amelia, that I'm reaching for anything. But I am glad this teamup is working out, even if you did almost get me killed."

Victor had to keep quiet again, but he didn't want to seem suspicious, "Well, I'll make it up to you somehow."

"As long as she's dead in the end," Cyra said.

"That's another weird aspect… You seem like the nicest person, yet talk about wanting her dead so freely. Not that I'm complaining! I want her dead, too, but I'm not a nice person," Victor said.

"Yeah…" Cyra said. It just reminded her of what she told Vergil earlier. Amelia is a demon, but she's so freely talking about wanting her dead, it was rather uncharacteristic of her, but she already knew that, "It's either her or everything I care about."

Victor didn't really have anyone to care about anymore, he couldn't relate. Not really. He cared about his new friend, Cyra, but it wasn't fair to compare to the people in her life, "Desperate times call for desperate measures?" He asked.

"Something like that," Cyra responded several moments later.

Victor stood up, putting his cloak back on and covered his face with his hood, "Will you be alright?" He asked.

Cyra looked up at him, "You're not staying?"

Victor let out a laugh, "And sleep on this uncomfortable lump? I'd rather deal with Amelia's wrath."

Cyra forced a smile, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for playing along and staying for as long as you did."

"What are friends for?" Victor said.

"You can leave through the backdoor, too, just in case," Cyra said.

Victor nodded, "Got it… Guess I'll see you around."

"Take care," Cyra called out, not watching him as he walked out. Suddenly, she was left with her thoughts. As miserable and lonely as they were.

She wasn't the only one feeling that way. Vergil heard the entire conversation. There was no way he'd actually leave while Cyra was around someone he didn't know or trust. Thankfully, his hearing was good enough to lean outside the window and hear it all. He jumped up on the roof so that Victor wouldn't see him, but he walked the opposite direction anyway. For a second, Vergil thought to stalk him and see where he was going to assess if he was a threat, but with the way Victor spoke to Cyra, especially when they were alone, didn't make him seem suspicious. He was too carefree, too unafraid of danger to be a threat. If Amelia threatened to kill him, Vegil believed that Victor wouldn't even care. Vergil was good at reading people, and someone like that wouldn't be a direct threat, but he'd be damned if he let him alone with Cyra any longer. Suspicious or not, Amelia could still keep tabs on Victor and have one of her projections or worse follow him to Cyra's.

Once Victor was out of sight and was sure no other demonic energy was around to ambush Crya, Vergil left the rooftop. He didn't have any other place in mind, but he felt that moving quickly would help him escape his miserable thoughts. In no universe would being with someone like Cyra be a good idea, unless every single demon who has heard of him was dead. There was no chance of that. Lesser demons wouldn't bother him, but there were demons much too petty to just let a would-be Demon King run free. Not to mention Mundus was still sealed, but it was only a matter of time until he'd return and it could be during his and Cyra's lifetime. He wasn't going to let Mundus kill two people he cared about.

Vergil gritted his teeth, jaw clenched, at the thought and stopped advancing, landing on another building, closer to the hill where the portal that he and Dante emerged from. The energy it took to move that fast ran quickly, only adding to his anger. He had to fall down on one knee to catch his breath. How? How could he expect to protect anyone like this - when some little Nidhogg cells managed to affect him that badly? He was always going to be weak; inferior. He reminded himself it was one of his many consequences he'd have to pay, but he hated it. Perhaps this was the appropriate consequence for him, after all, he thought. A lifetime of searching for power only to obtain it and lose it not even a year later. Appropriate, yet embarrassing.

He finally caught his breath and stood back up, fully. He looked back to the direction of Cyra's bookstore. He couldn't see it from where he was, but he hoped that she wasn't avoiding sleep due to being upset. Sleep seemed to escape her many times, which worried him, but then again, he hasn't been sleeping much either. He thought back to her conversation with Victor, admitting she was really going to keep trying to find a way to kill Amelia herself. There's nothing Vergil wanted more than to take care of the problem right then and there, if only to stop her from endangering herself - which she would.

Vergil needed to let off some steam. The portal was calling to him.

I KNOW, I KNOW, I HAVE TO. BEAR WITH ME. I LOVE DRAMA.