Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or Devil May Cry.
A/N: AU. Possible instances of OOCness. Genderswapped Izuku. Switched parentage of Izuku. Swearing. Mentions of violence, blood and potential gore(More so with DMC due to the demons and stuff). Mature themes/Situations. Demonic abilities/powers, as well as potential fits of possessive/overprotective nature, etc.
This chapter ended up being admittedly on the longer side but um, well I think all in all it still turned out pretty darn good. And I hope you enjoy it as well~!
Puzzling Circumstances
Dante was really not doing so hot.
Look-wise he was still pretty fucking fantastic of course, but today felt like everyone and everything had banded together to try his patience.
To start with, the job he was currently on. When the phone rang, Trish had been the one to answer.
"They know the password." She informed him before handing him the phone. Dante having taken it with a grain of salt, her not being in a 'working mood' as she liked to call it. The caller-most definitely a female by their voice-had been fairly direct and to the point.
"My son's been abducted by demons."
Dante was skeptical at first, "funny, you don't sound all that worried?" Dante remembered saying. It might be nothing but he really didn't feel like stepping into another trap.
As though sensing his doubt, the person offered a calm rebuttal. "I didn't think I would have reason to be seeing as how your success rate is so high, though if you're implying it's too much for you-"
"Whoa whoa whoa, no need to make this personal!" Dante hurried to say, he swore he could hear the smirk in her voice when she spoke next, sounding eerily condescending just like a certain brother of his. "I am gonna need more to go on though, like for instance his name. Also what does he look like? How old he is and what he was last wearing, things like that."
He'd come to a halt just outside of an old, abandoned cathedral near the outskirts of town. Trish accompanied him, the blonde stopping alongside him and looking up at the towering, pointed turrets. There were chunks of the roof missing in certain places and the surrounding grass was little more than weeds and debris from god knows where. The stained glass windows looked in desperate need of some dusting and repair. He let out a long-winded sigh running his fingers through his hair. Pulling out the photo he was given as a reference.
'Kai, huh…?'
Dante tucking the photo away into his back pocket just as a chunk of glass cracked and fell to the ground.
"How charming," Trish comments with a wry smirk. "It reminds me of that haunted house we took Izuki to last Halloween, don't you think?"
Dante hummed, folding his arms against his chest. "Really? I was thinking more like the place I grew up in."
Trish let out a scoff, shaking her head while walking forward. "Did she happen to mention what the ones who took him look like?" While she talked her eyes were fixed to the second floor window where she noticed something move.
"Yeah, funny you should ask…" He pulled out another photo holding it out towards Trish, who took it silently with an arched brow. After a moment of looking at it her brows furrowed in a visible sign of confusion. "Well?"
"Dante, the girl in this photo can't be more than ten years old." Trish said, handing it back to the smiling Devil Hunter who was sauntering past her. "Not to mention that she's clearly a human-"
"Correction, she was a human." Dante affirmed, his smirk dropping while his voice took on a more serious tone. "Apparently they were neighbors, the girl's father owned this place. No one knew at first what he was really up to, they only found out after he killed his wife and child...He said demons told him to, leading people to think he might've been possessed."
"So why come after the boy then, how would the demon even know what he looked like?" Trish inquired, sounding curious.
"Who knows? We'll just have to ask it directly," Dante said looking up at the towering building. About to head in when he heard the whispers circulating behind him. Civilians that were passing by on their way to work, school or just milling around aimlessly.
"Hey, is he-"
"What's he doing here?"
"I heard he's not human-"
"For real! Does that mean there's a monster nearby?"
Dante turned fully around, releasing his grip on the handle of Rebellion. The few lingering pedestrians all took a sizable step back, paling with fear and scattering like flies.
"We should hurry," Trish said. Her hand resting on his back being the only thing that quelled the swell of rage simmering within him, his more demonic blood boiling over how the people cowered. He nodded, relenting the urge to get aggressive.
The duo stepped inside the abandoned building.
"She said there was a basement somewhere further in." Dante said, arms crossed as he walked. Ignoring the cobwebs and pieces of mold-covered wood lining anywhere there was light. The smell was the worst of it, the place reeked of rotting flesh and blood.
"This place is a shithole." Trish surmised, both guns already drawn. "Hard to believe it used to be a place of worship."
Dante ran a finger along the dust-covered edges of one of the benches nearby, only for it to go crashing down to the floor with a loud creak! He sighed and rolled his eyes, walking closer to the altar in the middle of the room. Near it was a podium with an open book that Dante assumed to be the bible, giving the room another cursory glance. He stopped, just barely catching sight of something white fleeing out of the edges of his vision.
"Hey, what was that?" He whispered to Trish, jerking his chin in the direction. His words were followed by the slamming of a door far away. "This way!" Dante said, breaking off into a sprint.
"Dante, wait-!"
Dante stopped, turning to look back at the blonde only to find she was suddenly gone. The entire room he had been in was suddenly turned upside down, with sections swapped out for bits of what might've been the old, creaky roof or just more decaying floor panels. Dante took a few slow, measured steps back whilst resting his hands on his hips and letting out an impressed whistle.
"You know, I think your sense of decorating could use some work, but all in all it's a pretty neat trick." He turned expecting to be greeted by the face of a demon, of something inhumane and from the darkest depths of hell-what he got was a kid.
It was the one from the photograph Dante had received, the missing boy; same short dark brown hair and pale skin, same golden eyes that now looked like they were glowing in the dark. Dante wasn't expecting to find him so fast, nor for it to be so easy. Removing his hand from where it had been poised to grab his trusty guns, Ebony & Ivory, in favor of treading closer. The kid stared at him, standing at the end of a long, narrow-looking hallway and seemingly unarmed.
"Hey, you're Kai, aren't you?" He called out, keeping his voice as low as possible while closing the distance. He didn't want to risk startling what might already be a traumatized boy. "You know your mom's looking for you," Dante tried again when he got no answer. "Something wrong?" Dante asked, finally close enough to where he could see the kids' faces.
The boy, Kai, was looking back at him with dulled golden eyes and holding a ratty stuffed rabbit. His shorts and short-sleeved shirt were a little nicked but overall he didn't seem all that hurt. His one small hand rested against the wall, never breaking eye contact with the adult when he started to speak.
"I know you, you're Dante. Son of Sparda, he was a demon too, right?"
Dante blinked, a bit surprised by the utter lack of emotion in what appeared to be a ten-year old or so boy. Dante watched him tilt his head, looking back towards the wall behind him as if listening to something only he could hear.
"Kid, are you okay?" Dante asked while Kai's attention seemed to shift back onto him, lowering his gaze more towards the floor, clutching the worn toy rabbit a bit tighter. "Hey, look here for a second…" Dante said in a softer tone, crouching so that he was more eye level with the boy, seeing the way his smaller body trembled.
"Who told you that I was a demon?" Kai's eyes shone with unshed tears, quickly shaking his head. Dante reached a hand out to try and reassure him only for the boy to flinch and let out a scream.
"No! Leave me alone!" Kai's hand that rested on the hand slid a little further down and suddenly Dante and he were both thrown up towards the ceiling as the surrounding layout of the room shifted once again.
"What the-!?" Dante is quick to pull the Rebellion from his back, using it like as a shield to deflect the incoming claws. His eyes narrow as the boy is nowhere to be found and in his place is what might have once been a girl but is now most certainly a demon; Her hair is long and black, skin a chalky white with blood around her eyes and mouth, embedded deep underneath the blackened nails. 'Did she eat him?' Dante thinks, a brief surge of something that might've been panic consumes him.
It's enough for the demon to strike again, seeing his eyes dart to where the visage of the boy once was. Mouth opening to reveal several rows of sharpened, red-stained teeth. She swiped left, then right doing a feint before going for his head.
"DIE!"
~/~
"Golden eyes, hmm."
Kai remembered the girl's voice was like silk, it was as mesmerizing as her ruby-red eyes. Her smile was one of innocent curiosity, carefully stepping over the pooling red liquid on the kitchen floor to get to him. Kai blinked, feeling cold fingers touching either side of his face. Finally, while she was turning his face from side to side, examining his features, he spoke.
"Who are you?" His voice devoid of any emotion, ruby-red clashing against deadened gold. "You made a mess in the kitchen, Mother won't like that." At his words, her eyes slowly fell to the fresh white bandages covering each of his arms.
"Mother?" She repeated, tilting her head to the side a bit.
"Why did you kill him anyway?" Kai asked, sounding so very tired. Knowing that somehow, some way it would all come back to him-that his mother would lay the blame on him, punishing him accordingly. "Not like he did anything to y-"
"He was hurting you, wasn't he?"
Kai didn't answer her right away. He wasn't sure if he was allowed. He didn't want to be punished anymore today.
"Tell me," The girl began turning his face back towards her so he was looking directly into her eyes again. "Who is your father?"
Kai felt an impulse fill him, pushing on his mind. A name tumbling past pale lips, against his wishes.
"Pluto."
He remembered the girl's eyes becoming a bit wider, then little by little, something like a victorious grin lit up her face.
Kai's world went black after that. Waking up in the basement of the old, abandoned church, the one kids from the nearby high school foolishly dared one another to go in only to wind up on the morning news as missing. People started saying it was cursed.
Kai moved to sit up hearing the rattling of chains as he did, looking down and seeing both his feet had been shackled.
"Am I...a hostage?" He mumbled aloud, weakly tugging at the cold metal linked to each ankle. He gave up after only a few seconds, shivering when a sudden gust of wind came blowing through the mold-infested room. "Maybe I'm dead?" he mumbled after another few moments of silent contemplation.
The thought should have unnerved him but oddly, it filled him with a sense of peace instead.
'If-If I am dead, then...maybe now, no one else will have to die?' He thought, tears filling his eyes at the thought of finally being free of his suffering. 'No more experiments...no more unwanted touching or-or…' It was almost too much for him to process, his breaths were shallow and uneven while he curled more into himself. His hoodie provides little comfort against the cold and dust.
His body jolted, panic seizing him when he heard what sounded like a bolt of thunder crashing into the ceiling from up above. Suddenly afraid to even breathe. A sense of dread filling him as a large chunk of the surrounding interior was immediately blown outward, creating a path up onto the floor above.
Kai blinked, feeling like his heart had clawed its way up into his very throat when he caught a glimpse of long, flowing blonde hair. His breaths became more shallow as the dust cleared, relief flooding his body when he saw blue eyes instead of red ones.
"Well," the stranger said, looking down on him. He felt an inkling of fear when he saw the two guns in each of her hands, one of which had what appeared to be electricity running along it. "You wouldn't happen to be Kai now, would you?"
"Who-" Kai was cut off by a sudden coughing fit, his voice hoarse from however long it had been unused. "Who...are you?"
"My name is Trish, now hold still for me okay?" The woman introduced all while sliding down the makeshift slope created by the falling debris, landing on heeled boots directly beside him before kneeling down, the electricity sparking along her hand coming back. "First things first, I'm gonna get you out of here, alright?"
Kai gave no verbal response, only nodding. He watched as the woman, Trish, placed an electrified palm against the cold feeling metal. The metal had just about been melted through completely when a loud croaking sound drew both their attention towards a column of shadows. Kai's body tensing being the first to spot long, slender pale arms reaching out towards them-towards him.
"Shit-!"
Trish was quick to react, charging her electricity and sending a heavy blow of voltage in the very same direction. It lit up the patch of darkness while also burning away the disfigured corpse lying there. Trish barely paid the (still-smoking) remains any heed, immediately shifting her focus back onto Kai, or rather...where Kai once was.
She blinked, eyes becoming a bit wide when she saw empty air where the boy had been. "Kai? Kai!"
"Looking for thisss?"
Trish whirled around, electricity already sparking along her arm. Only for her to stop, hesitating when she spotted the small boy's now limp body, suspended in the air and being held by a long, slimy-looking tongue. The demon it belonged to was positively grotesque in Trish's humble opinion and even then, that was putting it nicely; It was a bipedal lizard-like thing that almost resembled a chameleon. Its skin is a sickly yellowish-green with black markings going along its face and limbs. It had numerous spines protruding along its body and three sharp, glistening claws on each hand.
"Let him go, or I'll barbeque you right here and now." Trish threatened, hoping the other would fall for her bluff.
Instead, the lizard-like creature only howled with laughter, bringing the limp boy's body closer. "Ssssorry, but my massster would be mossst disspleased if I lost thisss one." It said taking Kai underneath one of its arms for a more secure hold.
"Master?" Trish repeated, curious. "So, your boss is into abducting little children then, is he?"
The lizard demon scoffed, unnatural yellow eyes regarding Trish with a hint of glee. "Nice try, but I won't ssspill any sssecretss just yet...You'll have to catch me first!" The demon cackled, their skin momentarily glowing, then Trish blinked and they were gone. Her frustration mounting while she gave chase.
~/~
Dante touched a gloved hand to his forehead which was now sporting a rather unappealing gash to it, courtesy of the freak standing before him. "And just when I thought demons couldn't get any uglier…"
The demon he was looking at was easily twice his size, It's body consisted of mutilated women's body parts, mostly their heads with each one wearing a different expression. The one facing him looked to be wearing a maniacal grin making Dante wonder if the poor soul might've lost their sanity before becoming part of that abomination. It reminded Dante of a tree on some weird level, seeming unable to walk in a straight line and if trees had bloodied chainsaws for arms. The thing reeked of blood.
'Must be leftover from that whack-job pastor's doing…' Dante thought, sparing a moment to wonder at how many innocents he had sacrificed alongside his own family. "So, mind telling me what a freak like you wants with a ten year old kid anyway?"
For a solid minute and a half, there were only hysterical giggles that occasionally morphed into a deep, throaty chuckle serving as his answer. Still, he waited, wanting to be sure the kid was at least still alive. Otherwise, he'd slaughter this thing in the most inhumane way possible.
"P-Pluto...Pluto's b-blood…!"
Dante frowned, an unsettling chill spreading through the air at the name. "Pluto? Is he your boss or something?" Dante said with a derisive snort, having never heard the name before now.
The demon let out a shriek of laughter, the bloodied chainsaw whirring to life as they charged.
"Guess not?" Dante mumbled, shifting stances tightening his grip on Rebellion's handle and thrusting in an upward slash just as the demon lunged forward. They let out a pained screech as the metal dug itself deep into the flesh sending blood splattering aimlessly along the walls and floor but not enough to cut clean through, much to Dante's annoyance.
The Devil hunter was barely given a moment to breathe, ducking his head and rolling out the way of a few aimlessly slashes of the buzzing chainsaw. His sword hung, embedded in between the area of the demon's ribcage bathed in the flowing red blood. Dante rolled his eyes while cracking his neck, "well whaddya know, looks like you're a bit of a tough one after all."
"It's almost a shame that I don't have time to play around with you." Dante went on to say just as the demon went into another lunge, the chainsaw slicing against the walls as it weaved about aimlessly. He drew Ebony & Ivory firing off a few rounds, the bullets hitting one another at different trajectories, sending them each flying into one of the foreheads on the demon's upper half while he slid beneath the creature's legs.
His hand going for the hilt of his embedded sword, eyes pulsing with an eerie red glow and with a powerful push, the gleam of Rebellion's sharp edge dug deeper. Ripping through the chunks of flesh and sending the demon's upper half soaring while Dante went airborne. He sliced upwards in a crescent strike one, two, three more times turning severed mess of heads into mincemeat before they rained down over the limp lower half. Each section hitting the ground with a simultaneous wet thump!
"Now, to find that kid…" Dante said aloud, re-sheathing his sword.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than another chunk of wall burst apart. The Devil hunter turned while hearing the sudden sound of cackling close by, recognizing a limp, small figure seemingly floating in midair. A sudden bolt of lightning follows close behind accompanied by a familiar flowing head of blonde hair.
"Trish, hey, watch where you're aiming!" Dante yelped narrowly dodging a few burning sparks, not wanting his coat to get charred in the process.
"Aw, what's wrong? Is your aim a little off?" A disembodied voice taunted, jostling the smaller body for show. "Or could it be that you don't wish to hurt the boy? How sweet, of course I don't share such worthless sentiment..." The demon said, flickering back into sight with both sides of its jaw opening wide and bringing the unconscious boy closer.
"Dammit!-" Trish hissed, charging up another round of electricity.
Dante moved before she could fire it however, spurred by a flash of memory-
"Run Dante, run!"
-feeling insurmountable rage taking hold of him. His Devil trigger activates without even being aware, replacing rough human-tanned flesh with a mix of burning red and blazing black, bringing Rebellion down on the other demon who was only just now realizing its mistake. The lizard monster's grip on the boy went slack as Dante grabbed him, pulling him close and shielding the young child from the sight of carnage. The smell of blood and rot filling the air as it gave out a bloodcurdling scream.
The boy stirred, only slightly, giving out a weak little whine before Dante tightened his hold on him. Careful so as not to hurt the child, his features softening immediately when looking down upon the smaller being tucked carefully to his chest. Looking at him, Dante figured he was only a few years older than his own daughter, more than likely.
"W-who-"
Molten-gold met silverish-blue with Dante likening the look of fear etched onto the child's face as similar to his own the night his mother died. "You must be Kai?" The boy nodded, clearly teetering on the edge of consciousness at this point.
"Who a-are you people?" Kai murmured, unable to hide how his small body shivered from the cold.
"Name's Dante and that there's Trish," Dante says in a low voice jerking his chin in the blonde's direction for emphasis. "We're here to rescue you. We're gonna take you back to your mom, alright?" Dante informed, feeling the smaller hands tighten against his shirt.
"M-my mom? Did she...Was she the one who sent you?"
"Yeah. She really misses you," Dante gave the kid a small look over, frowning when he saw what looked and smelled like dried blood crusting along the bruised flesh of Kai's ankles. Fastening Rebellion back onto his back before using his now free hand to pull the collar of Kai's hoodie jacket down a bit, noticing the odd three-pronged marking near the base of his neck, looking like someone had branded it onto him.
"We should get going. Kai's mother will be waiting, I'm sure." Trish called out softly, walking over.
"Yeah." Dante agreed, noticing that Kai had slipped into unconsciousness.
~/~
"H-hey! Someone's coming out!" A female voice called out from amongst the gathered crowd that was now standing outside the old, abandoned church. After news of the so-called 'Devil Hunter' making an appearance circulated through social media, the streets became crowded with a large mix of fans, skeptics and even anti-demon protestors.
It didn't take long afterward for the news crew to make an appearance, all too eager to be the first to report on the 'inhumane' hero said to be capable of going toe to toe with All Might himself. "Who is it? Is it a demon!" The news anchor said, getting a few horrified looks thrown her way when she sounded just a little too excited at the prospect.
"There's two of them!" Another civilian shouted, trying to push their way towards the front of the crowd.
"It's Dante! That's the Devil Hunter Dante and his partner, Trish!" One of the male reporters yelled. No one seemed to notice the flash of irritation and disbelief that adorned both of the hunter's faces. The blonde muttered something to the other, covering it with a casual flip of her hair.
"You and your kind aren't wanted here! Monsters!" A few of the anti-demon protestors called out in unison, though were quickly drowned out by someone's shout of there being a kid involved.
"There's a child in his arms! Oh my god, is he a demon too?" One of the reporters asked the moment Dante and Trish stepped outside the gates. "Was he abducted by the demons, is that why you came?"
Dante pushed past them all, more focused on getting the kid home to his mother instead of answering any questions.
"What about my son!?" One of the females cried out, sounding close to tears. "He went missing a month ago! Was he in there as well? What about my Billy?"
"Yeah, what about my daughter!?"
"Demon scum!"
"What do you have to say about the allegations suggesting you're not human after all?"
"Is my daughter still alive?"
"Villian!"
"Please don't leave! What if the monsters come back?"
"Freak!"
"MONSTER!"
Dante felt Kai flinch in his arms, burying his face into the adult's shirt letting out a soft whimper. Clearly he wasn't a fan of loud noises, a sentiment Dante was beginning to share. It was the sudden sound of breaking glass and Dante catching a stray empty bottle that came sailing through the air at him-it was meant for him or Trish but almost hit the kid instead.
Dante's self-control snapped. Releasing a feral growl, Dante's eyes turned a bloody crimson as rage seeped out of him.
The crowd suddenly fell silent as an incredible wave of power washed over them, causing some of the weaker-willed ones to faint. The pressure of the power nearly made everyone fall onto their knees. The pressure was unlike anything any of them had ever felt before. It was overwhelming, murderous and hot too, like the sun itself was right atop them all.
Some would call it villainous even.
"Dante," Trish muttered softly, sparing a concerned glance down at the child in his arms. "Take it easy."
Kai was shaking really bad all of a sudden. Tears gathering at the corners of his eyes whilst looking up towards Dante.
"Here, I've got Lady on the phone. I'll take care of the reporters, okay?"
Dante blinked, the rage starting to ebb while looking over at the offered phone in Trish's hand. He could hear his wife's voice on the other end, calling out over the hushed silence of the crowd.
"Dante? Hey Dante, are you there?"
The red faded from his eyes as he took the phone. The rage being smothered by a sudden calmness.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm here," Dante muttered into the phone while walking with Kai back to Morrison's car. "Yeah, Trish and I found the kid."
Dante felt Kai's body relax with the receding of his more vicious thoughts, feeling the kids grip on his shirt turn a bit slack. Looking down and seeing those molten-gold eyes looking off in some random direction while slipping shut, figuring the poor kid was probably put through the emotional wringer. Letting out a sigh and tucking the phone between his shoulder and ear, he shifted the kid in his arms so that he'd be a little more comfortable maybe.
While doing so a soft-spoken whisper reached his ears. Causing him to pause, eyes searching the crowd once more...
"We'll meet again, my darling ototo."
He caught sight of what might've been a glint of blonde hair, more golden in color than Trish's. Watching the ends disappear into the surrounding sea of people instantaneously. Feeling an uncomfortable itch in his blood, wondering if it was a reaction.
"Yeah, we're heading back now," Dante said into the phone to his wife. Dante was careful so as not to jostle Kai too much while getting into the car, feeling in desperate need of a nap himself if he were being quite honest, grateful the kid was the type to drool in his sleep. The ride back to the agency was one of mostly blissful silence.
~/~
"Thank you for bringing my son back to me."
Kai's mother, Isabella, or 'Bella' as she preferred wasn't at all what Dante envisioned from their brief chat on the phone. For starters she was much more high energy than her son it appeared, doting on him the moment they walked in through the door while repeatedly bowing her head in thanks to him and Trish. She was, unsurprisingly, very attractive to boot.
He could see a few immediate similarities and differences between them; She had the same pale complexion and soft, yet regal features. It reminded him of his own mother to some extent, the look of love and warmth she fixed Kai with when she had him in her arms, the way her violet eyes sparkled with life and her hair caught the light of sun filtering in through the window. Dante forced himself to look away, a bit disheartened when he didn't see Lady anywhere.
Personality-wise she came off as a very well-bred individual, smart too. She was remarkably unfazed when she first came into the office and was greeted by a headless Agni filing papers of the latest demon-related incident uptown-Dante really needed to talk to him about walking around like that, even in their home office.
"I just don't know what I would have done if he...Well," Isabella seemed to choke on her words momentarily, running her fingers through her sleeping son's hair. "I owe you a great deal, Dante." Dante smiled, the sight stirring some long-forgotten emotion inside him, not quite able to form the right words right off the bat.
"Don't mention it, it's what heroes do after all." He stared into her eyes, swearing for just a moment they changed color, blinking and seeing the same violet-colored orbs now looking back at him with a tad more confusion. "Say Miss Isabella-"
"Bella if you please, despite some of the unsavory rumors going around about you I must say, your work ethic is to be admired. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since I called you."
Dante thought he saw the barest hints of a smile bloom across her face, adopting a more lively tone upon the return of her only child. Finding it increasingly hard to imagine the stoic one she used over the phone had come from such a woman, feeling a bit mesmerized by the unusual color of her eyes for the first few seconds. They were much different than her son's, oddly enough.
Dante shrugged, "What can I say? I aim to please in all areas, I guess." Plus he kind of needed all the good publicity he could get at this point, it was hard finding people who were willing to look past all the unsavory rumors.
"Bella," he corrected, the nickname rolling off his tongue in a strange way. "I wanted to ask you a few questions before you left if that's okay? In regards to why your son may have been kidnapped in the first place?"
Bella nodded. Giving him the go-ahead to continue.
"Did your son pass by that church regularly at all?" Dante asked, curious.
"No. We've never set foot in that area before, of course we've heard on the news of some local high schoolers having gone missing there before but otherwise...nothing." She sounded a bit confused herself.
"And did he perhaps happen to know any of the kids that went missing before this?" Trish inquired, arms folded over her chest seeming just as perplexed.
"No. Kai has been homeschooled all his life, he-" She hesitated for a moment while looking towards her son before offering an apologetic smile to the two hunters. "I'm afraid he's...had some bad experiences in the past. Because of that my husband and I felt well...We didn't want to put too much of a strain on him afterwards and, call it maternal instincts if you will, I just felt better having my only child close to me."
"Only child? So, Kai doesn't have any siblings then?" Dante said aloud, thinking back to what he thought he heard leaving the scene of the mission. Bella shook her head, expression unchanged.
"Huh...Just one more thing if you don't mind," Dante said, sparing a glance towards the sleeping form of Kai. His mind goes back to the fight he had with the chainsaw-wielding demon. "Does the name Pluto mean anything to you?"
Bella blinked, face contemplating before finally shaking her head once more. "No. I'm afraid I can't say it does. Why?"
"No reason." Dante said dismissively, part of him wondering if the demons simply nabbed the wrong person.
"Very well, if you don't mind it's been a trying experience for Kai and I'd like to take him home so he can rest." Dante nodded in acquiescence, watching her turn to leave. She paused at the last moment, turning back part of the way and fixing Dante with an odd look. "Pardon me for asking, but you have a daughter, correct?"
Dante blinked, a bit taken aback by the question before his expression became a little more guarded. He slowly nodded. He must've left her picture out on his desk again without realizing it.
"What of it?" Dante asked, not moving from his spot.
"Nothing really, she just looks to be a lovely girl is all." Bella says matter-of-factly, "call it a woman's intuition. She looks the type to have a bright future ahead of her is all I meant." Another small smile and dip of the head, then Bella was continuing her walk outside. "Good day to you Mr. Dante."
Dante watched, feeling a bit lighter all of a sudden. Most people that saw he had a daughter automatically assumed the worst of her, even more so if they've heard the rumors. To hear someone say something positive was refreshing, to say the least.
Bella offered them one last wave as she departed with her son. Once she was gone, Dante flopped down into his chair folding his arms and propping his feet up on the desk, throwing Trish a questioning stare. "Hey, you've been around the bend. Ever hear of a demon named Pluto?"
Trish only shook her head. "Where'd you hear it?"
Dante clicked his tongue in annoyance. "One of the demons who attacked me back in the church, they mentioned something about Pluto's blood. Figured he must be a demon and a high-tier one from how they were making it sound." He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "When I asked if he was the big boss, I didn't get an answer."
"Maybe he's not a demon?" Trish pondered aloud.
"Maybe…" Dante agreed reluctantly, it still felt like he was missing something.
"By the way," Trish started from the side, "don't forget about the commission meeting today."
Dante let out a loud groan.
"You already forgot, didn't you?" The blonde retorted, sounding very unamused.
"Gimme a break," Dante grumbled picking up the magazine he'd been reading through earlier that morning. He regretted getting into this Hero gig sometimes, especially since, as it turns out, there's a ton of boring stuff that needs taking care of on the side-especially when you're one of few who deal with human villains and the demonic ones.
To start the Commission meeting. Not another one of the many 'meet-and-greets' he was forced into attending with some other more well-known heroes, like it was Dante's fault he didn't really want to be a hero. Unfortunately he now had a kid and therefore needed a more solid income and between tightfisted Morrison, the landlady/maid/on-the spot babysitter and his sometimes devil of a wife who was still throwing the occasional jab over his supposed debt-well, things could be better.
Did he really even owe her that much? He vaguely recalled her hollering something about a broken suspension bridge or other a while back but surely it was the fault of the demon he was chasing and not actually him. Plus as it turns out things like pacifiers, baby monitors and diapers were not cheap.
It had seemed like a pretty sweet deal at first, they pay off his mountain of debt and provide a very generous flow of cash. In return they gain access to an answer to all their non-human problems.
Ever since his dear brother's stunt of trying to unseal the demon world to gain their father's power Dante's pretty much had one complication on top of another cropping up. The first and foremost being that the general public was now very much aware that demons existed and while a good chunk of quirks may be able to combat them, even keeping them at bay a fair amount-there were just as many instances where that simply wasn't the case and a particularly powerful demon came stomping onto their plane of existence forcing Dante himself to step in.
It wasn't long after the higher-ups came knocking on his door seeking both answers and a means of protection against the very unprecedented new type of threat. And while he was enjoying pizza no less! Dante was about to turn them away and tell them where they could shove it...then Morrison came walking in, Lady in tow and Dante felt his mood lighten just a bit as they fell into their usual banter with Morrison taking the reins on the discussion with the Hero-groups or whatever.
Now he was stuck attending annual 'check-ins' to make sure no new demon activity was popping up, or at least none that warranted any major concern. Just the thought of sitting in that dull office with no pizza or wife, no strawberry sundaes...it made him grimace.
"Maybe I should just ditch?" He muttered, lazily flipping through a magazine.
"Don't even think about it."
Dante didn't bother looking up, barely even letting out a scoff. "When'd you become my keeper?" Long, flowing blonde hair danced in the edges of his vision.
"Just now. Lady called and said you seemed like you were going to ditch today, so she asked me to keep an eye on you." Trish informed, causing Dante to snort.
"I'm not five, I'm pretty sure out of the two of us I am a fully capable adult-"
"Who still eats nothing but pizza and strawberry sundaes when his wife isn't looking. By the way she says she's still mad at you over what happened last week," Trish says amused.
Dante lets out a breath of annoyance, finally closing his magazine and rolling his eyes. "Gimme a break, I was just minding my own damn business when Mr. Asshat came walking over and insulted my daughter-"
"You made a scene Dante, not to mention almost broke his jaw." The amused chuckle that came spilling from her lips betrayed the stern tone making Dante's own furious expression soften just a tad. "The guy was an ass I agree, insulting a kid like that...but Izuki, you, me, Morrison and Lady as well as everyone else here all know he was in the wrong."
Dante didn't give any kind of verbal agreement, instead letting his eyes glance up and looking through the clear-tinted windows at the staff bustling about the place. Part of him still missed the peace and quiet he once had, but he was getting used to it.
"Now come on, the meeting starts at 8."
"Can't you just go in my stead like you did that one time?" Dante teased with a smirk.
"I suppose I could," Trish began in an equally enticing manner. "Though only if you explain the how and why to your wife afterwards."
"Alright already, I get it!" Dante said, annoyed. Slamming a hand down on the desk he had his feet propped on moments ago effectively startling a few of the interns milling about near the door.
"Stupid meetings…"Dante continuously grumbled under his breath the entire walk to the car.
"I know, it's so hard being a wanted man, isn't it?" Came Trish's unappreciated comment from behind as they walked.
Downstairs Morrison was already waiting and seemed content on having a grand old time laughing at his misfortune. Dante made sure to send him a very 'today's not the day' look before at least attempting to get some shut-eye on the way there.
"So, today's the day isn't it?" Morrison clearly has no intention of allowing Dante his sleep, though his chosen topic of conversation could be much worse. Offering a shrug, Dante cracks one eye open to look at the other man. "You know most parents I've seen would be more a wreck sending their kids off to school for the first time and all….not to mention she's such a shy little thing."
Dante was worried, far more than he let on. "It's just preschool, besides if I was the one dropping her off then it'd just make a bigger mess of things…" His tone was lacking any kind of dismay to it, but the other two still saw through him nonetheless.
There were very few people in his life whom Dante could say he trusted wholeheartedly and aside from Lady the two in the car with him were next on the list, including Inko herself. And he knew better than anyone that if word got out that Izuki, his precious baby girl, had demon's blood in her veins-even if it is the blood of Sparda-people would hate and fear her.
She'd become an outcast before she even turned five. That isn't the kind of life he wants for her.
Not him and not his wife. They wanted their child to be happy and accepted.
"Still, she's into All Might, isn't she? People love him, so she'll definitely have something to talk about." Morrison let out a chuckle when Dante snorted, actually pouting in the seat beside him. "Aw, don't tell me Daddy Dante's still a little jealous?"
"Course he is, did you see his face that day when Inko brought Izuki home in her new All Might pajamas?" Trish was laughing now.
"No, but Inko did show me the pictures," Morrison informed, being the smug son of a bitch that he was.
"You're both assholes, you know that?" Trish and Morrison paid his venomous words no heed, reminiscing on shared stories of little Izuki and Daddy Dante the whole way there. Much to Dante's thinning patience, a headache quickly making itself known.
~/~
Meanwhile, far on the other side of Red Grave City in a standalone, tall building someone else was showing signs of a similar headache, albeit for slightly different reasons…
"Ma'am while we understand your concerns for the child, our staff is very capable-"
"Your staff? Oh, you mean like that woman who refused to let us past the front desk?" Dual-colored eyes narrowed shrewdly, her patience at an all-time low from the moment she saw how the school receptionist had greeted her precious baby girl. The lady who had been someone Dante was kind enough to save when a demon possessed her boyfriend late last month.
Turns out she somehow thought it was Dante's fault to begin with and recognized Izuki as Dante had taken her out for some ice cream on that fateful day. Lady was well acquainted with the mortal woman's look of disdain despite Izuki herself lacking any noticeably similar traits to her father at all; Izuki inherited more of her looks thankfully. The smile she then gave to her and Inko was so fake Lady had half a mind to put a bullet through it, not that she'd want to waste the ammo.
Fortunately-though it had yet to be entirely ruled upon-the principal came scurrying over at the exact moment Lady decided to try and reach over the counter. Inko being the voice of reason between them, shielding poor little Izuki from the other woman's scornful glare as she was dismissed for the day.
"Bitch…" Lady muttered under her breath, making absolutely certain the other female had heard it.
"Again, I apologize for that however, I assure you she and I will be having strong words at a later date-"
"So you're not going to fire her then?" Lady cut in, her tone sharp and almost accusing. "Therefore leaving her with the notion she did nothing wrong, again. Just like that shrew of a teacher who keeps sending her out in the hall with a detention whenever she sneezes claiming she's causing too much of a disturbance." The principal began to sweat, "I also couldn't help but overhear your little pep talk you gave to one of the students I said were picking on my daughter as well." Lady had to hand it to the man, he did a remarkable impression of a fish at the very least with how quickly his mouth opened and shut.
"This is the second time she's been that way with the first being when I came to enroll my daughter in the first place. Are you sure this is how you want to play it?"
The principal started panicking. Lady spared a quick glance towards the door of the office, knowing just on the other side was Inko with her daughter. The older woman was kind enough to try and cheer Izuki up while she dealt with the principal.
"Look here," Lady began leaning forward the smallest amount, fixing the man with the same kind of glare she reserved for the demons she hunted. "My child has just as much of a right to a good education as anybody else's and my husband, who you can bet will be stopping in to have a few choice words with you, is one of the top hero's to date in case you've forgotten. The fact that we have to put up with this level of unprofessionalism is a bunch of bullshit."
Lady really hoped Dante was having a better time than she was right now because if the way she left the principal bawling like a baby was any kind of indication, they were going to need to find a new school for Izuki to go to. One not run by a bunch of prejudiced assholes.
Inko was truly a godsend for situations like these in which Lady had a bad habit of letting her temper sometimes get the better of her. The older woman offers a nice stable ground and kind, attentive second pair of eyes when watching Izuki. It reminded her of her own mother from time to time.
But then she would also be reminded of her asshole of a father and her train of thought stopped right there.
"Looks like this place was a bust too…" Lady said aloud, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. They were running out of places to try and get Izuki enrolled.
"I don't understand why people wouldn't want such a sweet child in their class," Inko cooed while holding Izuki in her arms. The small child looked more glum than usual, no doubt having heard at least some of her mother's outburst in that office.
"It's cuz I'm a monster…" Izuki mumbled, burying her tear-filled eyes into Inko's sweater. The two older women stopped walking with Lady reaching to take her child, speaking in hushed tones.
"No no, sweetie, don't you ever think that alright?" Lady soothed hearing the hiccups start, whipping her daughter's tears as quickly as they fell. "This place is just full of big dummies, okay?" She smiled, waiting for watery green to meet her own mismatched ones.
"But that's what that one lady said-"
"She's the stupidest of them all." Lady cut in, the sudden urge to run and hunt that bitch down growing by the second. Too bad Lady also didn't think she was worth going to jail over. "Hey I know, why don't we go get some ice-cream to cheer you up, mommy's treat."
The crestfallen look melted off Izuki's face, replaced by a beaming smile. "A sundae with strawberries?"
"Only if you don't tell daddy since he needs to lay off the sugar," Lady added sternly.
"Don't tell me he's still eating mostly pizza and sundaes?" Inko's troubled voice came in from the side, looking a tad perplexed over Dante's chosen diet.
Lady shrugged, a small spike of irritation spilling into her next words. "He said something about genetics last time I caught him, whatever the hell that means. That was also when Morrison had to go in person to tell them to stop delivering."
Back across town, Dante sneezed.
"So as you can see Mister Dante, there has been a steady overflow of demons popping up in the outskirts of the Qing Pong City as well as several sightings near the Makunda Bay here, here and here." Dante lazily followed along, looking at the spots where the Commission woman was pointing while reaching for another slice of pizza laid out for him on the table. He had to hand it to them, at least they knew how to keep him from walking out right away. Though the 'anti-demon' protestors out front had soured his mood a little more, scattering like mice the moment he turned flashing red eyes on them. Threatening to bust out what many dubbed his 'quirk.
'Hah, if they only knew.' He thought while hiding a scoff. People would believe almost anything to cover up the horrific truth.
He didn't need the constant reminder that a small portion of people weren't exactly thrilled at the idea of a demon protecting them, not that he cared all that much anyway. When he went to stop the Temen-ni-gru it wasn't like he was going on a pleasure trip, he mostly just went since his idiot brother was involved. Such simpler times back then. A demon invasion occurs because your brother and your now-wife's psycho dad want your father's power? Kill a few demons, close the portal to hell, problem solved. Now though? The amount of paperwork alone for just one demon sighting was enough to make Dante fall asleep.
Not to mention some of the news spinning stories like it was his fault a demon decided to visit the human world. God, the things you do to pay some stingy landlord, raise a family and get your pizza/sundae fill. His thoughts were interrupted when Trish, lovable sidekick that she was, noticed him starting to nod off and drove the heel of her boot down into his foot. He shot her a glare, opting to prop his feet up on the nearby table out of the she-devil's reach.
"Our biggest points of concern being the why and how, as well as seizing immediate control. We want to ensure the public's safety and get to the root over why it seems the demon populace is suddenly becoming so restless-"
"Probably because they're pissed. And greedy." Dante cut in, downing another slice before continuing. "How would you feel being stuck in an eternal hellfest, the only source of company being a bunch of bloodthirsty demons and other assholes wanting to claw your eyes out?"
Trish slapped him on the shoulder, fixing him with that same pointed stare that Lady threw his way whenever it was time to 'lay off the pizza', or worse, when it was his turn to change Izuki.
"Well be that as it may it's causing a majority of the citizens to panic as I'm sure you can imagine." The Commission representative finished, choosing to not reprimand Dante's rather coarse choice of words, seeming to want to focus more on the issue at hand. Too bad Dante wasn't in a working kind of mood.
"And the heroes there are all useless?" He thought for a moment about who he might know or recognize stationed in that area, no one of any real note coming to mind. And if the subtle way the Commission lady's pursed was any clear indication he must have hit the nail right on the head.
"They tend to be more urban areas, therefore there are few of the 'powerhouse' types if you will While certain Emitter-types may also prove useful there is nowhere near enough to combat the increase in surfacing demons."
"Then send more out?" Dante offered, one brow raised as if to ask what the problem was.
She sighed. It was the kind of sound that told Dante he would be stuck there at least for another hour or so.
His gaze shifted a split second later, catching the smallest tuft of blonde peeking out from around the corner. Hearing the shuffling of something-it was too light to be flesh or claws. While the woman started talking he got up, a slice of pizza still hanging from his mouth, walking over towards the slightly ajar door and yanking it open.
"Uwaa-!"
It wasn't a demon, he could tell that much before getting up. Though what kind of kid went and got lost in a place like this?
"Hawks!" The woman seated across from Dante rose from her seat, immediately coming over just as the kid began to pick himself up. He was a few years older than Izuki, with tousled strands of blonde hair and-wait, are those wings? The woman was calling him Hawks, 'so then it's a result of his quirk?' Dante thinks, a bit curious watching the cluster of red feathers twitch some.
The Commission lady closed the distance between them with impressive speed for a human in heels, so Dante thought. Not at all oblivious to the oh so subtle way she steered Hawks body away from Dante, her body language a tad reminiscent of how he reacted when a demon got just a little too close for comfort to his one and only child before he ripped it in two. Only this woman lacked any of the warmth or protectiveness in the action, her eyes holding a certain level of caution like she wasn't entirely sure on whether or not Dante had it in him to actually hurt a child.
Golden eyes looked up and met his bluer ones. Dante felt something, the kid wasn't a demon so then why-
"Dante, this child is mine."
A sudden chill reverberated through the air, accompanied by a spike in bloodlust. Causing Dante's eyes to narrow on the child, unintentionally causing him to flinch. He turned when the child's face was redirected onto the commission member's sharp gaze, letting the Commission woman take care of the child, scolding him for eavesdropping while he locked eyes with Trish. His pizza falling to the ground, forgotten at the small sudden flicker of demonic energy.
"I apologize for that, I don't know how he managed to slip away from his handler but-"
"That boy, you called him Hawks?" Dante says only after Hawks has been led out of the room by another person in a suit. "Didn't know the Commission did babysitting now." His tone was light while refusing to tear his eyes from the door Hawks just left out of.
"Hawks is an up and coming hero that is undergoing special training here at our facility." The woman clarified, going back over to take her seat and resume the meeting. Sparring another glance in the direction of the door Dante followed her, whispering something to Trish when he brushed past her.
There's a chill in the air that wasn't there seconds ago and he's sure they both can feel it.
It's a shame really, since he wasn't in a working mood to begin with.
"How old is he? He looks maybe...ten?" The lady frowned, not seeming at all comfortable by Dante's sudden interest in their young charge.
"Mr. Dante-"
"Those wings were impressive," a rare flicker of emotion flits across her face and Dante's pretty sure it's panic rather than something more tolerable. And though he already knows the answer, a part of him feels compelled to ask anyhow, needing the extra insurance. "He's not a demon, is he?"
"No. The wings are a manifestation of his quirk. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that while a majority of the public has shown acceptance and a more welcoming demeanor towards demons there are still those who-"
"Can't stand our guts?" Dante interrupted, not really in the mood for that particular speech again. "Yeah I met quite a few of them on the way in. Even recognized some from a recent job I went on." He shrugs, his demeanor returning to his usual aloofness. The kid, Hawks, lingering at the back of his mind.
Just as he was about to sit back down, his phone buzzed with a text message. "Excuse me, but I'm afraid I just need to make a quick phone call…"
~/~
Hawks had seen the devil once, when he was younger. He had felt that unearthly chill in the air that came accompanied with a pair of unnatural eyes, red as blood. It was a chance encounter really, one that haunted his dreams from time to time still.
"Mother! Father!"
He remembered the creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet as he walked. The sudden darkening of the sunlight outside seconds before the inside of the house was plunged into darkness. Then came the sounds, like bone breaking apart or someone's spine being snapped in half.
He turned, seeing only a column of darkness before him. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, making him clutch his endeavor doll a bit tighter. "M-...mother?" He called, daring to creep closer. "F-father?"
The face he saw wasn't that of either of his parents. It was-
"Hawks! Are you listening?" His handler interrupted, jerking his attention back up towards the older man.
"Y...yes." He really wasn't, unable to contain his curiosity when he heard the whispers about the famed 'Devil Hunter' stopping by. The one who was not entirely human with more of a penchant for hunting the unnatural and-as some would say-unholier lifeforms. Things many dismissed as mere works of fiction in the past, but are now becoming more and more afraid of.
Hawks expected maybe horns or claws, something to denote the one called Dante's supposed demonic heritage. Only instead he discovered he looked every bit as human as the rest of them. His hair a snow-white and skin a little more on the tan side perhaps, but that was about it.
Personality-wise he was certainly...unique. From the few sessions on 'profiling' Hawks had undergone he could tell Dante did not truly want to be there, nor did he have much respect for authority figures it seemed. On more than one occasion he'd overheard a member of the Commission break down crying, exclaiming how Dante's mere presence was suffocating.
True enough, the Devil Hunter had his own ring of gravity around him it seemed. It drew Hawks in while also threatening to crush him completely at the same time. It was different from ones like All Might, more unnatural.
Even Endeavor, as awkward and unapproachable as he may be at times, was nothing like him. There was something about that Dante guy that actually scared him.
Was the guy really not human?
~/~
There are times, however fleeting, where Dante wishes he was entirely human. For his daughter's sake more than anything else.
"Really, so it was another bust, huh?" A sigh of frustration came spilling from Dante's lips, pinching the bridge of his nose in mild irritation. How he would have loved to march down to that stupid school and shove his sword where the sun didn't shine with that asshole of a principal-
"Daddy!" A much younger, more innocent-sounding voice came on the line making Dante smile.
"Hey little angel, how's it going?" There was some light rustling, probably Lady or Inko.
"Mommy took me out for some ice cream. I'm sorry I didn't go to school today like you wanted…" The sudden way all joy drained from her voice had Dante internally cursing out a certain principal and receptionist, "I really thought*hic* this time they wanted me-"
"Hey, hey come on now, none of that. Those people clearly don't know a good thing when they see it." He kept his voice light, almost teasing. "You know your Mommy and Daddy got thrown out of quite a few schools back in the day, it's not that uncommon."
"You did?"
"Oh yeah! Especially your mom," Dante was sure he would get an earful later on for mentioning one of his beloved wife's 'dirty' little secrets, but hey, at least it made Izuki laugh. "Anyway, Daddy's gotta go back to his meeting. But be sure to bring me back a sundae, yeah? If Mommy asks then we can split it. That way she can't say no."
The last sound he heard before hitting the disconnect button was his precious daughter's laugh.
He turned his gaze skyward, taking note of how many floors there appeared to be. None housing any kind of demonic aura like what he felt earlier either. While it was a definite possibility the demon may have either fled or was simply scoping things out there was something that still felt off about it.
Walking back inside he caught sight of a black feather laying on the ground, similar in size and shape to that of the boy, Hawks. He picked it up, looking it over then proceeded to head back inside into the meeting.
In the reflection of the door that slammed shut after him there stood a young girl; Her eyes a fiery-crimson with a black and white mask in the motif of a bird with sharp, pointed brows like a long-horned owl and a sharpened beak over where her nose might have been. Her clothes looked wet and covered with something foul as she clutched a ratty old doll, standing barefoot.
She turned, beginning to walk away from the building, the doll dragging along behind her on the pavement. Leaving behind the building that now had the devil hunter inside. Figuring she would simply come back tomorrow or possibly at a later date altogether. It made no difference.
"My love, my love. My fearless love. I will not say goodbye."
In the wake of her steps pools of darkness began to show, taking root and expanding in seconds. Clawed hands reaching up, out into the open air dragging with them inhuman-looking creatures.
"Sea may rise. Sky may fall. My love will never die."
Clouds darkened the sky overhead, rolling in from both sides. A crack of lightning resounded through the air, then the downpour started. Horrified screams started to ring out over the city, drowning out the words of her lullaby.
"Go on. Go on. Go bravely on, into the blackest night."
Hell followed where she went. Blood splattered against buildings and sidewalks, people dropping dead. At one point someone's half-eaten corpse dropped onto the pavement in front of her.
She sidestepped and turned the nearest corner, catching a sudden glint of steel as she did. Doing a sudden double-take as the demons that appeared were mowed down like grass in a powerful gust of wind. Her doll dropping, red eyes blazing with some unspoken emotion recognizing the blade immediately. And that scent-
"Sparda."
Review, if you would be so kind.
Question: So, which fandom do you think has the more 'fearsome' villians? DMC or BNHA? Also, did you pick up on the hints I dropped in this chapter, hmm?:3