AUTHOR NOTE

This is a bit late. Partly because Christmas KILLED me, but mostly because I had trouble getting this chapter to where I liked it. Even now I feel like it's a bit too... jumpy? Let me know what you think. In any case, by the end of this chapter we've entered episode 1 and gone through all trailers bar RED, which i won'y be touching. It's an amazing trailer but I just couldn't fit it in :(.

Speaking of timelines, there are certain events in this chapter which probably didn't happen on the same day. I know this, but equally, hear me out.

I thought it was cool.

And to be fair, it's not too much of a stretch. I hope it didn't negatively effect anyone's viewing experience.

One side note. Power scaling. Yes Dante and Vergil should still be ridiculous, but don't worry. Try to read their actions as much as my words, they still are ridiculous, and I never said that Salem's council won't be getting some buffs down the line...

That said, don't expect them to go on a world wide slaughter spree straight away. While they will become more active, they start this story as professors. Team RWBY and JNPR are main characters as well, so they will be getting plenty of screen time, especially in season 1 and 2. They'll need Vergil and Dante's teachings if they're gonna survive what's coming.

Now to answer comments:

(Just a warning, I did not proofread these replies, they are raw undiluted 2AM typing)

Hellsink Bathhall: Thank you! (that's right, I answered the newest one first, anarchy!) Now to comment on your various points. I agree that against the lions share of enemies, Dante and Vergil are going to crush it. Even with any nerfs I willingly or unconsciously put on them. It would take top tier rwby fighters to brawl with them, and magical powers/extreme tomfoolery to have a chance at winning. Even then, Vergil and Dante have A LOT of battle experience, so even if they could logically win it doesn't mean the sons of Sparda won't kick their ass anyway. Fights are more than just attack power after all (even if they do have a metric f** tonne). Cross over pairings... yea, no. If Nero ever makes it into this story I agree he already has a girl, and while Dante is flirty I tend to agree that he and Lady should be a thing. Or Trish, shippers ship what you want. Vergil has a strange relationship with Glynda at the moment, I don't plan for it to go romantic but if it happens I agree that it would probably be alright. Something that started as more respect than lovey dovy feelings. Also, Dante and Vergil are grown men, shipping them with any of the barely legal teens at Beacon would make me feel a bit weird. Teen crushes yes, relation ships with students almost definetly not. As for character combining, I agree that most of the time its a bit of a story turn off for me. I won't be writing it so no need to worry, there won't be some reveal that Jaune is actually Nero yadda yadda yadda. Finally, Dante and Vergil being teachers will be a thing for at least season 1, but they will take a more active role in the story as... things happen. Not exactly as they did in cannon because of a few flapping butterfly's to keep it interesting, but rest assured, s**t will still hit the fan.

FerunaLutelou: Thank you for helping me with the time lines, I really dislike continuity mistakes but my memory isn't perfect :).

Hero of Keyblade: *TAKES IN BIG BREATH* YYYYYYYYOOOOUU'RRREEEE PPProbably right. Dante/Vergil/Nero are utterly ridicules characters from an utterly ridicules world. Listing any of their more b**ls to the walls feats would likely make people wonder why they don't just jump into the sky and break the rest of the moon before going and b**ch slapping Salem out of existence. I am probably subconsciously nerfing them (Nowhere near to the point they'd actually lose to anything pathetic). While I could give story reasons like whatever is stopping their devil trigger is also stifling them slightly, or fall back on the meta reason you mentioned about needing to nerf them so rwby characters keep up, you're probably right. That said, i would like to just bring your attention to two things, one that I'm not sure I conveyed enough and one that is a joke. Firstly, please do keep in mind that I try to shade what I write with the viewpoints of characters. While Vergil may think (but never admit) that some characters from Rwby are a threat, this could just be his opinion. An opinion influenced by the loss of his devil trigger form, making him feel more human. Although Vergil's character development has gotten him to value that half more, it is deeply ingrained in him that his devil side was a significant portion of his strength. Not saying he's weak now, only that in his mind he might be low balling his own power now that he's relying more on his human half. Just because he accepts it now, doesn't mean his years of self indoctrinated demon power worship isn't still in his subconscious. Although, make sure to remember that actions speak louder than words. While Dante and Vergil may think they're weaker, they still do insane feats in this story without even thinking about it. Feats hunters probably can't so. See what Vergil did with that giant centipede last chapter or what Dante does to... well you'll see this chapter. Now for the joke. In any DMC game, if you leave the controller or just are terrible, the weakest demon can kill you. By these feats I should probably start letting Beowulfs get more shots of on the twins :).

StyGian21: Thank you, I feel like it's important to talk to the readers a bit, in crossovers especially. As for the research... You'll have to find out later :). For the spellchecks, I'm sorry you found some. I try my best to catch them on my pre-release read through but more often than not some slip through. I don't have a beta reader so sometimes I read through the chapter later and see them. It's literally the worst thing, especially when you remember what you meant to write.

Guest: You will find out what Dante/Vergil teach in 2-3 chapters time. Stay tuned :).

Dragonarrow18: I hadn't planned to, but then I wasstanding full clothed in the shower when it hit me. I had been struggling on what to do with Dante/Vergil for the early story (I have plans for later :)), and the idea grew on me. I believe it would be...interesting insert evil laughter hear.

XenoBlaze: 1. This chapter answers that. 2. We shall see. 3. Currently no plans for it, but there is room if I feel like adding it. Feel free to comment any cool ideas, capture my interest enough and it might make it in. Thinking on it, demonic versions of their current weapons or similar could work. Could be pretty interesting with what's coming too. 4. As they were in cannon, only the magical parts of Salem's council and Salem herself would have been threats one on one. The rest of the council could put up a fight, but without outnumbering/prep time/dirty tricks it would be difficult for them to be a threat to our demonic brothers. That said, this story won't be fully following the cannon. When they enter the story, things may have changed. Maybe for the worse.

Nuclear Moisture: Niceeeeeee, thanks. My biggest fear is I'll write them out of character. I find Vergil easier than Dante but I will always try to keep them in character. If you ever feel they're not let me know and I may rewrite what's wrong. Except for the Vergil watching my little pony bit of this chapter, that is just so Verg (I'm trolling, please read the chapter, that doesn't happen).

RedBurningDragon: Them not mentioning the rock part of the sword was a bit weird, sorry. I'm sure Ruby will mention it when she gets her hands on it. As for the DMC5 arsenal, yes, Dante has them and they star in this chapter! I think I got all of them in, though Ebony and Ivory are arguably the stars. That or Cavaliere.

Lord-Krun: At this point in the story they can not DT for reasons they may find out in later chapters. If they did DT yes, it would be a massacre :). Dante and Vergil as de-aged students didn't really make sense to me. Hell, Nero is closer to that age and he'd still wreck the invincible girl harder that Kyrie on prom night. That was a tad graphic, I apologise, but you get the drift. Teacher's just made more sense to me, mentors even more so. Although they may end up a lot more active as the story progresses. For notes on my nerfing of them please see Keyblade's reply.

Guest: I'll make more as long as you keep reading :).

reddevil47: The school wouldn't survive Dante/Vergil as students 0_0, hope you keep reading.

Otakufreak225: In my opinion, Vergil cares about the strong, those who earn his respect. Dante cares more but still doesn't have any problem killing humans. He's more likely to save people for the hell of it than Vergil who would save people as collateral. Dante has his fighting styles but I won't be telling who that he is in a certain style, Ill just say what he does while you guys think 'hey that was a trickster style move!' Vergil did get Beowulf back from Dante, for nerfing comments please see Keyblade's reply. As for buffs... We'll see :). Thank you for your comments.

OneYuTriSlayers: Don't worry, I was just joking with you. Of course Dante and Vergil will always fight, its all Dante can remember of their time as kids! They're just not trying to kill each other anymore... OR ARE THEY DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN. Na though, and your right. Blake and Weiss' reactions to Dante should be interesting.

Kornerkun: Thank you :)

Darth Eradicus: You would be correct kind sir.

kerrowe: I try. And while they may feel suppressed, your right to read their actions. They are still beyond strong. Well played sir.

ubivashka-kun: And that's why I'm not shipping them with any students. At least not on this website...

Sm0keyPanda: YEAH WILL DO.

Now, lets get too it.


Chapter 3: Dance of Red and Yellow

A Grimm attack was a terrible thing to witness.

What brought it on? Who knows: maybe someone was dumped, or mugged, or just felt terrible today. It didn't matter what brought the first few Grimm; once the panic started more and more came.

Every house in the village was new for this exact reason. No communities lasted more than a few years. Still, Grimm in the area spiked so rapidly the settlement hadn't been able to pack up fast enough. A desperate post on the huntsmen message boards had gone unanswered; too many problems for too few Huntsmen to deal with.

The few fighters they had were backpedalling to the town centre where their families were sheltered. They were simply ill-equipped to deal with the tide of Grimm descending upon them. They were only able to take out the young vanguard, but crashing through the treeline, they saw more massive, older Grimm.

Grimm that filled their veins with dread.

Hopelessly, the militia watched their world come crumbling down around them.

Sounds of their doom filled the air. Splintering trees as Grimm pushed steadily into their village. Breaking buildings as they were trampled by the nightmare hordes. Constant rumbling of a motorbike as it grew closer.

A motorbike?

Eyes darted to the forest where a demonic-looking cycle flew from the treeline. Its speed was frankly reckless, no sane person could react to the forest's twists and turns moving that fast.

Maybe that's why even the Grimm were surprised, a King Taijitu (a ginormous snake with a head each end) rearing its head just a moment too late; rather than intercepting the cycle, the Grimm merely became its ramp.

Riding along the length of the snake, black blood flew up as the beast was shredded before the demonic machine launched off the opposite head of the now-dead Grimm. As it flipped through the air, a storm of metal raged, gunshots drowning out everything else.

Landing the motorcycle with a thump, it drifted across the dirt, stopping perfectly in front of the guards.

"Hello, ladies," the man in red smirked at the gobsmacked militia. Not that they noticed; still trying to process the various Grimm dropping dead; lacking heads, limbs, or torsos. "Did you guys start the show without me?"

"Wha-?" The men and women of the village gaped at the new arrival as he hopped off the bike, sauntering towards the Grimm horde.

"I'd back away if I were you," the silver-haired saviour waved back as he strode forward without hesitation. "You're in the splash zone."

The villagers were about to comply when a screech pierced the air. Dread, temporarily pushed aside by the man's arrival, slammed against them all. Above them a giant Nevermore blocked out the sun, it's devastating wings flapping, preparing a storm of feathers that would impale them all.

Where did such a nightmarish creature even come from? What did they do to deserve such a fate, to die so soon? Why was that Nevermore exploding?

Wait… WHY WAS THE NEVERMORE EXPLODING?

Looking down, the villagers saw the smoking barrel of a rocket launcher being held by the red-clad hunter.

"Jackpot."

Holstering Kalina Ann, Dante smirked, launching towards the horde before the pieces of Nevermore were even near the ground. The first Beowulf slashed out at him, Dante simply leapt over it, lashing out with Coyote-A as he did.

"Down boy," Dante quipped as the shotgun blast launched him further into the air.

Dozens of wolves surged towards where their prey would land, lunging towards it… only to hit a silver staff plunged into the ground.

"Guess you really can teach wild dogs to play fetch," Dante teased before dropping down on the confused to Grimm.

Swinging King Cerberus, his silvered bo staff, Dante cleared large arcs of Grimm before the staff broke into 3 smaller rods each linked to a ring by translucent energy. Hit after hit rained down on the swarm descending on Dante, each beast swatted like a bug. It didn't matter if it was quick controlled violence or ridiculous jumping spins, everything Dante did was brutally effective.

If a bit showy.

Blasts of lightning, ice, and fire could be seen from the village square. The remaining villagers only really knowing Dante was still alive and fighting behind the black tide because of the quick flashes of elemental fury. Despite the apparent carnage terror seeped into the audience, knowing that this small reprieve would fade when the flashy huntsman inevitably fell. Because in their minds it was an inescapable fate.

To them at least.

Not to Dante…

Lumbering forward, an Ursa, a large, menacing and very very old bearlike Grimm, covered in more plate than fur went to end it. Where countless hordes of lesser Grimm failed, it would efficiently deal with this problematic human, then they would take the rest.

One Cerberus uppercut sent that proud ancient monstrosity high enough into the air that people might think it was a fat Nevermore. A Huntsman with the kind of strength to do that wasn't unheard of. A huntsman that knocked an Ursa into the air, put away his weapon, then put on a hat and magically appearing scarf?

That would just be ridiculous. Dust clothing was rare, not something that was often used as a primary weapon; too expensive for too little damage. It wasn't like you could just create red energy blasts that orbited around them hitting dozens of Grimm or throw said energy out like gunshots. Or… or… is that a laser beam?

After batting away a few opportunistic wolves, Dante sent a stream of red shots into the sky so fast it looked like a continuous beam of energy. Hitting the falling Ursa, it barely scratched its armour plates at first but just kept going, eating through and impaling the beast within moments.

Dashing forwards, a Deathstalker, a giant scorpion Grimm, swiped out at Dante. Forced to jump back, Dante's hat fell onto the arachnid Grimm, seemingly leaving him disarmed. At least, that's what the monster thought as it pressed its 'advantage'.

Out of nowhere, Dante pulled out a sword as tall as himself. With a wide grin, one slash had the Deathstalker rearing up, its vulnerable underbelly on full display. The second, third, fifth took its legs, with the final impaling the beast and ending its long terrible existence.

Tossing aside the smoking insectoid corpse, crushing a fair few more beasts as it landed, Dante quipped, slashed, and generally showed off as he cut a swathe through the horde. Gradually he eroded the peoples' expectations.

Minutes ticked by, children cheering each time he leapt into the air slashing apart the occupants of their nightmares. Militia whistled and hollered each time red swords of energy impaled Grimm from the black mass.

Barely any Grimm broke off to attack them, too preoccupied with the man cutting them down like wheat. Those who did try were weak, quickly put down by a few shots before the audience returned their eyes to Dante.

But Dante wasn't just a showman. He wasn't just a demon hunter, a saviour, or legendary dark knight.

Dante is a professor now. So he had some lessons to teach.

To his loyal fans, he taught them not to despair, to believe in the power of people, and never underestimate a stylish fighter in a red coat.

The Grimm? They learned a… different lesson.

While the concept seeped into their unknowing minds, an idea sprouted to finally erase this hunter. Rather than strong Grimm opportunistically pouncing at Dante when they saw an opening, they all lunged to crush him once and for all.

Nevermores dived down from the sky, Ursa charged at the speeds of cars all while the smaller Grimm kept him occupied. A giant Grimm elephant, a Goliath, the largest, mightiest, and oldest of the Grimm gathered trampled forward to end it all.

Dante, who had been slashing away a dance to music only he could hear, noticed the sudden shift in rhythm. Yep, it was time to finish this with a flourish.

Moments before the tide of Grimm hit, before any of them could really register it, Dante dashed forwards. Balrog, a set of demonic gauntlets and grieves, allowed Dante to easily stop the charging Goliath. Trumpeting in surprise, the sound that usually inspired fear now sounded surprised, scared even, the Goliath couldn't pull back as Dante gripped its mighty trunk.

The earth shook, the very foundations of the village vibrating as Dante swung the Goliath over his head and crushed the diving Nevermores like gnats.

Then he lifted it again.

Craters littered the ground as Dante used his makeshift weapon to flatten the remaining Ursa and any other Grimm bigger than a Beowulf (and some Beowulfs as collateral too). The damaged houses crumbled or were simply smashed to dust. Trees splintered as they were atomised, the audience weren't even cheering anymore; just standing there open-mouthed.

Not from horror, those homes were already mostly destroyed by Grimm, but awe at the sheer absurd showing of strength.

By the time the Goliath's pathetic groans ceased, and it dissipated into a thick black cloud, there wasn't much left of the horde. Only a few young Grimm and Dante smirking as he held onto his hat.

Despite the human now looking unarmed, The Grimm just stood there in devastated reverence. Grimm learned over the years: learned how to hunt, kill, and survive more efficiently. These Grimm? They just learned that they weren't the only creatures able to inspire fear.

Such an ability was essential to the black-furred demons.

The true horror of a Grimm attack was that the despair of the humans drew more until it was an insurmountable task to beat back the tide. It was practically impossible to save them then. It would require something to completely replace the fear they felt. Someone so utterly ridiculous that panic was replaced by joy, their fight like a performance lifting the peoples' spirits and depriving Grimm of reinforcements.

It needed someone like Dante. An illogically, impossibly strong, performer that could lift people's spirits and annihilate Grimm. The existence of such a man sank into the Grimm's animalistic minds, to the point that they knew. There was no winning here.

So they broke. First one Beowulf turned to run, then the pack, then the scattered remnants of the horde.

Not that it would save them.

Red energy fell from the heavens like meteors, obliterating the fleeing Grimm. Dust and rubble obscured the battlefield as everything was eviscerated in an unapologetic slaughter.

Walking from the cloud of carnage, the remaining villagers were silent as the hunter who saved them strode out victorious, completely unharmed. Step by step, the man in red sauntered towards them like he was just out for a stroll and hadn't just routed an entire legion of Grimm.

While the children were screaming about how cool their saviour was, the adults felt a pang of trepidation. What would a man who can crush an army of Grimm alone want with them? Could they give whatever he wanted as a reward?

"Th-thank you we-," a brave militia man stepped forward to speak with the red-clad huntsman.

"Don't worry about it," Dante patted him on the shoulder before walking casually. "You guys did good, but I've got some business here."

Sweat dripped down the faces of many adults, worrying with bated breath what he was talking about.

"Is there a," Dante paused for a moment, pulling a piece of paper from his coat. "Braun Bellflower here?"

"I'm Braun," an older greying man stepped forward. Nervously he looked at the red-coated man, set at ease only a bit at the easygoing smile on his face.

"Well," Dante started with a clap. "I'm glad to inform you that your quarry has been cleared of Grimm. Thank you for using Remnants number one monster-killing service, and for paying in advance, have a nice day."

With that, he turned, got on his bike, and started pulling away while the villagers were still stunned stupid.

"Wait your from-," Braun said, gears in his head turning only to be cut off by Dante's motorcycle engine.

"Yes I am, and thank you for your patronage!" Dante shouted back as he sped away. With the speed he was going, Dante could probably stop for a pizza without even needing to rush that much.

He had time.

Back in the village, people had already started to rebuild. All things considered, the damage was actually rather minimal; only a few houses wholly gone and most of the rest completely untouched. Kids ran down the streets pretending to be a certain red-coated hunter, completely forgetting the brutal fate they just miraculously avoided.

Those who had seen Hunters before talk about the man's weapons. Never before had they seen a motorcycle that turned into chainsaws, or weird energy swords, or whatever that hat did!

A real lack of imagination amongst the new Hunter's if you were to ask a particular red-clad man, who's brother most certainly wouldn't agree.

Many curious people crowded around Braun, asking him about the white-haired man who saved them. He told them how, since no hunters had answered their call to clear Grimm from the town quarry, he had put in a request at a specific agency…


Slowing to a stop, Yang leant back, humming a tune as she waited for the light to change back to green. Vibrations from the engine shuddered through her, heart beating; ready for the next rush. This was why Yang built Bumblebee, her beloved bike, it just felt right. The adrenaline, the power, it was just so her.

Admittedly, there was a lot of family help with Bumblebee. Dad continually trying to follow the instructions, uncle Qrow guessing measurements by the 'feel' of them, and her sister Ruby who actually did most of the work. That said, Yang kept them all on task, guiding them towards her vision of HER bike.

It took weeks to convince Ruby that Bumblebee didn't need to transform into a chainsaw. Not to mention it didn't need spikes, or rocket boosters, although Yang was remarkably tempted by that last one.

No, if Ruby were to make a bike, it would be far more like what just pulled up next to her. It looked downright demonic, with spikes at the front and everything!

"Nice ride, old man," Yang shouted to the bike's owner. He looked around Qrow's age, with a long red coat and white hair. No helmet either, unlike Yang, who wore her biking helmet and goggles; otherwise Dad would never let her ride Bumblebee anywhere.

"Yours isn't too bad either," the man replied. "But who are you calling old man? I could drive circles around a kid like you."

"Wanna bet?" Yang smirked.

"What you thinking?" Dante asked, leaning back to appraise his fellow biker.

"Last one to Junior's buys the winner a drink," Yang revved her engine as the lights turned amber.

"You're on," Dante slammed down the throttle, both bikers flying from their start line and onto the overpass.

Diving between cars on the highway, the race between the two warriors could be called many things. Dangerous, irresponsible, pointlessly tense, to name a few. Professor Goodwitch would have plenty more to say if she had witnessed the extreme speeds and quick turns only Hunters' reaction speeds could pull off.

Thankfully, Glynda Goodwitch didn't witness their race.

Heartbeat in her ears, Yang pushed the speed limit while the cars around her were nowhere near it. In it to win it, she tried not to scare other drivers as she sped past them, weaving around cars, each coming at a faster tempo.

Unfortunately, the man in red seemed to care less about the speed limit than she did. For the longest of times, Yang thought she was in the lead, only for her opponent to come from under a lorry. Overtaking Yang for the lead.

Turning around, the man in red sat backwards on his motorcycle to wave at her, not even holding his handlebars. The cocky bastard. Yang grinned, revving her engine and darting to the side.

Once again in the lead, Yang descended from the overpass, seeing the club in the distance.

Peddle to the metal, Yang shot down the road, ready to claim that drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow, glancing up Yang's eyes widened as she met the man in red's eyes as he flew over her. Upside down.

Flipping over, he landed skidding to a halt. Stopped precisely in front of the club just in front of where she parked.

"You're insane old-timer!" Yang laughed; that was ridiculous. Tears in her eyes she saw the man was smirking as he hopped off his ride.

"It's Dante," he replied, leaning against his bike. "And you're not too bad yourself kid."

"Yang," she smirked, offering out her hand, which Dante gladly shook. "Pleasure. Now, guess I owe you a drink."

"I've got time," Dante replied, glancing at his scroll, he could afford to waste an hour or two. "But I'll pay."

"Chivalrous of you."

"I try," Dante grinned, giving an exaggerated bow. "Though I'm pretty sure only one of us has a paying job squirt."

Chuckling, Yang followed Dante into the club. Neither gave a second glance to the orange-haired crook quickly leaving the establishment with some black-suited men as they entered.

Ordering a glass of high shelf whiskey, Dante internally cursed Vergil for getting him hooked on the good stuff and burning a bigger hole through his wallet. Dante told the bartender to charge him for whatever Yang wanted, savouring a sip of his drink. Leaning back on his stool, quietly enjoying the burn. Eyes closed, Dante just sat there, feeling the beat and nursing his chosen poison.

Yang smiled at Dante, happy to see someone else happy before deciding to make her own order.

"Strawberry sunrise. No ice," Yang called for. "Oh, and one of those little umbrellas!"

"Aren't you a little too young to be in this club, Blondie?"

Wow, that was fast, was she good or what? Sending Dante a wink, Yang put in her best 'I can do nothing wrong' expression and turned to the man who spoke. She liked to call it her Ruby impression.

Dante just raised an eyebrow before leaning back on the bar. Whatever was about to happen, Yang seemed confident in her ability to handle it. Time to sit back and enjoy.

"Aren't you a little too old to have a name like Junior?" Yang giggled.

Junior didn't look amused. Dressed in a white dress shirt with black vest, trousers, and gloves finished off with a red tie, he looked somewhat respectable. He also looked pissed. The bearded man glared down at Yang, his grey eyes meeting her purple ones.

"So you know who I am," the tall club owner replied, looming over Yang. "You got a name, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Junior," she sweetly replied. "I've got several. But you can call me, sir."

Dropping her innocent pretence, Yang grabbed Junior's crotch faster than the man could react and squeezed. His cry of bug-eyed pain got a look of sympathy from Dante… and a small chuckle.

"People say you know everything," Yang continued, showing Junior a picture on her scroll. "Tell me where I can find her, and I'll let you go."

"I've never seen her before," Junior said straining to speak. Dante believed him. Where did this girl get her interrogation techniques, Lady? "I swear!"

"Excuse me?" Definitely an alternate universe Lady with long blonde hair. That guy didn't stand a chance.

"I swear, sir!" Junior gasped out as his men started to surround the two of them. Briefly, a couple looked at Dante, but he just waved them off, gesturing to his half-full whiskey glass.

"Hmm, looks like we have an audience," Yang glanced around, mentally counting how many suits there were. "This must be kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward…"

"Listen, Blondie-sir," Junior said, still struggling to speak. "If you want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let go of me. Now!"

Releasing him, Yang's face returned to the picture of innocence as Junior sighed in relief.

"You'll pay for that," Junior grunted, putting on his sunglasses and walking away from the dead girl.

"Oh, Junior, I was just playing!" Yang replied, following closely behind Junior. "Don't be so sensitive! Come on, let's kiss and make up, okay?"

"Huh?" Junior turned, looking confused at the blonde teen. But she was pretty easy on the eyes, and it's not like she did anything too damaging… "Uh, okay."

Smooth, Yang internally chuckled as she leaned towards a kiss. Junior, moments before feeling the buxom blondes pillowy lips on his own… instead felt Yang's fist, planted firmly in his face.

So firmly in fact that it sent him flying across his club.

Launching herself into the air, Yang activated her gauntlets and slammed into the dance floor. The shockwave sent her opponents stumbling back as shattered glass flew through the air.

Batting away the glass shards sent his way, Dante took another sip of his whiskey, calmly watching Yang's fight. She was pretty good. Not Huntress level but if Yang wasn't in training he'd eat his hat.

Given that his hat, Faust, wouldn't like that, it would be a somewhat painful experience.

Yang moved quite well, bobbing and weaving between enemies, using her gauntlets for both attacking and movement. A boxer, Dante would guess but suffered from the same thing he did.

She was a show-off.

While Dante had the power and experience to compensate, the same might not be said of Yang if she ended up fighting the higher tiered threats. Or as Vergil put it, 'people worth fighting'.

The music changed as Yang slammed the DJ into his equipment, two new opponents making themselves known as she did. A set of twin girls, seemingly near Yang's age, with red and white motifs respectively. One with red bladed gauntlets, the other with white bladed heals.

"Melanie," the red twin started. "Who is this girl?"

"I don't know, Miltia," the white girl replied. "But we should teach her a lesson."

Reloading, Yang launched herself at the twins, firing explosive shots that each twin easily dodged. Then they started taking Yang apart.

Spinning, dodging, never letting Yang have a moment to breathe, Dante saw more holes in Yang's fighting style.

The girl was a tank, hit hard and weather the storm, but each time she missed was energy wasted. If the twins were better fighters, or even just close to Yang's level, she would probably lose.

Luckily for Yang, the twins apart were nowhere near as strong apart as they were together. Proven when she managed to knock the white twin back for a moment then pummel the red twin.

Miltia felt glass shatter against her back as Yang launched her through a pillar. The red twin curled in the air, dreading the impact of the wall now that her aura was broken. It would hurt. A lot. Maybe even break something with how fast she was flying-

Warmth surrounded Miltia and the impact never came. Still feeling herself moving, she kept her green eyes locked closed until she finally stopped. Blinking open her eyes she saw… a cute guy?

Wait, this was the bar…

"You alright?" The man asked, offering a hand to help her up off the floor.

"Y-yeah," Miltia blushed as she was pulled up. Sitting on a bar stool, she dumbly watched Dante lean over, stealing supplies from behind the counter as he mixed something up. "I'm Miltia, by the way."

"Dante," the man replied with a smirk that only made Miltia's cheeks redden more. "Your sister's doing pretty well."

"Yea," looking over Miltia had to agree. "She's always been the quicker fighter. I'm more of the lumbering hard hitter of the two of us."

"You did fine," Dante patted her on the shoulder. "And I'm speaking as a younger, stronger, handsomer twin myself."

"...Thanks," Miltia whispered, returning her attention to the fight.

Both spectators winced as the white twin was brutally floored by Yang, aura breaking on the final kick.

Music changing again, the white twin limped off to join them as their boss took to the stage.

"You okay?" The white twin nodded at her sister as she slumped onto a bar stool. Realising they weren't alone, the white twin shot a questioning look at her sister's companion. "Oh, right! Melanie, this is Dante. Dante, Melanie."

"A pleasure," Dante winked, getting two out of two on the blushing twin scale.

Explosions rocked the dance floor, with the trio making small talk as Junior attacked Yang. Dante had used a rocket launcher as a bat before but had never seen one that actually turned into a bat. Until now. That said, Junior was quite obviously out of his league.

With a unanimous three out of three, the spectators all agreed Junior was fucked.

Turning away from the fight, Dante poured his final drink mixture into two martini glasses. But it needed something… Something special.

Then it hit him.

Or rather, it didn't. Plucking a stray rocket out the air, Dante gave a quick smirk to the twins who were nearly exploded, before lighting his drinks on fire.

Miltia and Melanie were scared shitless when a rocket nearly hit them without any aura. Breathing heavily, they calmed enough to be utterly awed at how easily Dante plucked the missile that would have hospitalised them out of the air. Then be completely flabbergasted as he set his mixes on fire, and entirely nonpulsed when he discarded the rocket over his shoulder, breaking yet more glass.

"May I present," Dante dramatically spun, holding the two flaming glasses but never spilling a drop. "The devil's delight."

Each girl took a glass, marvelling at what could possibly be in it.

Behind Dante, a shockwave blasted through the club, Junior flying through the window as Yang finished the fight.

With a mane of raging fire, Yang looked like an avenging goddess. Though with those glowing red eyes, Dante supposed she might be a little bit demon. Burning heat filled the air, as though they were all too close to the sun itself.

Then she was gone.

Picking up his whiskey, Dante smiled at the still stunned twins before clinking his glass against theirs.

"Cheers."


"AHH!" Ruby jumped as a man flew from the sky.

Oh my Oum, the songs were true, it was raining men! She had to find cover, preferably something impact resistant. A bunker! Ruby had to find a bunker, grab Zwei and weather out the storm…

Wait a second… Why would it rain people… wearing suits? That made no sense. Ruby never quite believed Yang and Dad when they told her about baby carrying storks, even before Qrow stepped in, telling Ruby how it really worked.

Gross.

But the stork story had to come from somewhere, right? Like raining people. But how would clouds make clothes? That was impossible; clouds don't have thumbs, neither do birds! Now that she thought about it, there was the sound of breaking glass too.

Looking around, Ruby then noticed the club with shattered windows a familiar blonde walking out.

"Yang?" Ruby tilted her head, staring with wide silver eyes. "Is that you?"

"Oh," Yang blinked, noticing Ruby was there for the first time. "Hey sis!"

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the broken glass and empty street.

"It's…" Yang sighed. "A long story…"

"Did you kill this guy?" Ruby poked Junior's unmoving body.

"OH DUST IS HE DEAD?" Yang sprinted over lifting Junior up by the suit and manically shaking him.

"Wait, Yang, I think he's breathing," Ruby grabbed her sister's arms, just barely stopping Yang from hurting the guy more.

"Oh, thank Oum," Yang relaxed, dropping Junior to the ground with a loud thud.

"YANG! Don't drop people," Ruby admonished, slapping her sister's head to no effect. 'She doesn't even look guilty', Ruby thought pouting.

"Oh, don't worry Rube," Yang smirked. "He deserved it. Now I think we need to find somewhere to party at, we need to celebrate me going to BEACON!"

"Yang, you're not leaving for a couple of weeks. And you just destroyed a club!" Ruby exclaimed, waving her hands in the air. "I think you've had enough 'partying' for today."

"No such thing Ruby, now you in or out?" Yang asked, swinging her leg onto Bumblebee.

"Out," Ruby deflated. "I'll just find a dust shop and read some weapon magazines. The new addition of Mistral munitions monthly should be out now! And someone has to make sure you make it onto the ferry later."

"Ah, look at my little sister being all responsible," Yang cooed.

"Well one of us has to- Ah STOP IT, Yang STOP," Ruby tried to slap her sister's hands away as Yang ruffled her hair. For someone who didn't let anyone touch her hair, Yang needed to learn to stay an arm's length away, the touchy, feely, dumb-dumb head.

"Eh, I'll be fine. Won't it be hard to find a dust shop open this late?" Yang couldn't help a bit of concern leak into her voice. Ruby was HER little sister after all. Can you blame her?

"I'll find one," Ruby replied. "Now go, have fun, and try not to get in trouble. Please!"

"Yes, Maam!" Yang saluted, revving her engine and speeding off into the night as Ruby shooed her away.

Huh, Yang thought for a second. Where was Dante's bike? Damn, was it stolen? Poor guy. But tonight was a night for celebrating, time for some full-throttle fun.


Maybe, just maybe, if he didn't move, it would stop.

Nope. Everything still hurts.

Slowly, straining each of his aching muscles, Junior rose up off the ground. Why was he still outside the club? Grumbling, the club owner limped back inside his wrecked establishment. His glass guys were going to have a fucking field day cleaning and replacing all the windows Blondie shattered.

Though Junior still wouldn't report it.

Oum knows what would happen if word went around about him ratting out another criminal. Even if the crime was just vandalism with HIM as the victim. It was the sad reality of being an information broker; you just had to handle your own problems.

"You really think we could do it?"

Junior frowned at the voice coming from the bar, hobbling over broken glass to HIS bar, where HIS bodyguards were drinking with just… some guy?

"Definitely," the red-clad man said while eating a… pizza. They ordered PIZZA! He was unconscious, lying in the street, and they ordered pizza. "People get a tonne of jobs through their lives, you might not be able to get in this year but if you save up, train a bit more, I reckon you could get in next year. And if you don't then spend that money on getting into fashion."

"Ahem," Junior cleared his throat, glaring at his employees as they leapt to their feet. "Who are you, and why are you trying to convince MY employees out of their jobs. Which they should be DOING. NOW."

"I'm Dante," the man in red replied, still relaxing in his seat like he owned the place. "The fully trained Hunter that your employees have been distracting, so I don't notice anything out of the ordinary."

...

Fuck.

Quickly thinking through the different escape routes, Junior decided that the basement was his best bet. Hunter's had incredible movement but in a tunnel… Who was he kidding, he'd still be screwed. Deflating, Junior waited for whatever the Hunter was going to do, ready to just cut his losses and accept it.

Dante offered him a drink. "Tough night?" he asked as Junior tentatively took the tequila.

"You have no idea," Junior sighed, sinking into a stool and slumping over the bar.

"Take a load off," Dante patted Junior's shoulder before sliding a pizza box over to him. "And don't worry about losing the twins. Not yet at least. I was just telling them that they need to find something they love doing and then get paid to do it."

"Good advice," Junior admitted, internally wondering if he should have become a florist.

Things would undoubtedly be more straightforward.


"Have fun girl's," Dante waved.

"By Dante!" The twins waved back in unison as their new friend left the club. Maybe one day he could be their teacher too… if everything played out.

It had been a good evening, the four of them settled in at the bar. Dante and Junior trading stories while the twins commented or criticised. Enough Pizza and whiskey to go around helped.

Reflecting on the evening as he strolled down the streets, a call to adventure struck Dante in a way it often did. A declaration singing through the air, or as most people would call it, the sound of a distant explosion.

Eyes darting up, Dante pondered for three seconds on his course of action.

After a second, he fully admitted to himself that yes, he wanted to go see what the explosion was. It was probably going to be fun.

The next second had him check the time, grinning as he realized he could go on this little side quest and still make it.

Then the final second was Dante mounting his bike, Cavaliere, launching himself towards the action.


"We've got a Huntress!" Roman Torchwick, criminal genius and dapper gentlemen, shouted to his boss.

It was meant to be an easy night. Grab some of Junior's goons, go to a dust store that was still open, rob it of dust, leave the money, done. Buffoons could do it, which is why Roman settled for Junior's people. Henchmen able to understand orders even if they don't have much higher brain function beyond that.

But of course, there had to be an annoying, persistent, midget in the store. A little red girl with a giant ass scythe who beat the crap out of his hired goons before turning to him. Deciding to leave, Roman politely told Red that he enjoyed this evening but would now be parting ways with her… A message delivered by a high explosive shot from his gun cane.

THAT USUALLY WORKED.

But noooooo. Little Red must have somehow dodged because she persistently chased him up to the roof. So plan B. Jump on his bullhead, currently piloted by his scary ass boss, throw a highly explosive dust crystal at Red, then shoot her again.

Bish bash bosh done.

AND IT SHOULD HAVE WORKED.

Only for a Huntress, headmistress Goodwitch herself, to appear, block the explosion and now try to magically bring down his bullhead!

Taking the controls, Torchwick smirked as the scariest woman in his life went to deal with the second scariest woman in his life. Excluded when his usual partner was sugar deprived; he kept that girl well fed ever since the first time... Thank god for that conveniently located ice cream van. Torchwick might not have survived to become a criminal mastermind without it.

He tried to manoeuvre around the Huntress' blows against the ship but couldn't fly away while they were under attack. Hopefully, his boss would be able to burn Goodbitch away so they could leave before anything…else…happened….

Is that a flying motorcycle?

FUCK. THIS. DAY.

Turning the debris Goodwitch was using to telekinetically attack them with to ash, Tortchwick's boss had barely a moment to turn around and lash out at their new combatant. Explosive fire flew from both her hands, one forcing Glynda and the red girl back, while the other tore the flying bike apart.

It did not, however, seem to damage it's driver.

Emerging from the smoke, Dante slashed down with his sword, cutting through a bit of the roof before the fiery criminal caught the blade. Torchwick started piloting the bullhead away from the scene of the crime while making sure to keep an eye on his boss' fight.

For a moment his boss tried to melt the blade, only for its wielder to smirk at her. Damn it, what was this thing made of-

BANG

Ears ringing, Torchwick watched as his boss reared back clutching her face as the gunshot echoed through the bullhead.

Another shot rang out as Dante pressed his silver pistol, Ivory, into her stomach and pulled the trigger. Instinctually doubling over in pain, she had no time to react as Dante pressed his black pistol, Ebony, to her temple and shot again.

Swinging wildly, his boss tried to get some distance with a savage wave of fire, only for pain to erupt at her wrist as Dante pulled the trigger again. Then her face, liver, kidneys, arms as she attacked again, eyes, head, stomach. Brutally, Dante kept her stunned; constant hits to the head disorientating her while body shots kept her harmless.

Tortchwick, seeing his boss be taken apart like a child, did the only thing he could.

He span the bullhead.

Barrel roll after barrel roll forced Dante out of the open bullhead door, but he held on with one hand, not ready to leave the fight yet. Just as he was about to pull himself back in, he looked up to see a fiery, furious woman.

Heels melted into the bullhead floor to keep her rooted, hellfire erupted in her hand, launching it at Dante.

Letting go of the bullhead, the attack carried over his head as the bullhead continued to spin.

Once it came around a full loop, the fiery witch was ready with another barrage of hellfire, only to see the fallen Dante with a rocket launcher in hand. Winking, Dante pulled the trigger, noticing his boss' smirk a moment too late.

The second the rocket left Kalina Ann's chamber, it exploded, sending Dante flying like a smoking meteor back to the ground. Bullhead doors closing, the criminals saw the Hunter annoyingly land on his feet before they sped away.

"That was close," Roman commented, only to shudder as his boss' amber eyes burn holes into his head. "Shutting up now."

She didn't bother to admonish her subordinate. Breathing heavily, the real criminal mastermind closed her eyes, trying to recenter herself. That had been close…

This could be a problem…


"Anyone catch the plate of that bullhead that hit me," Dante joked as he reached the roof little Red and Glynda were on.

Dusting ash off his coat, Dante saw Glynda give her 'we just lost' glower. Meanwhile, the red-hooded girl seemed relieved he was okay. Wow, a random girl was more worried about him that a coworker. Should he be happy with the amount of faith Glynda had in him or offended with how little his safety mattered to her?

Eh, he'll just force Vergil into a room with her for a while. It was the perfect punishment.

Dante was brought out of his revenge plotting when the girl in red started to… vibrate. A wide smile stretched across her lips, eyes widened, and she looked like someone just told her it was Christmas.

"You're a hunter," the Red girl asked, practically shaking as Dante nodded. "And you're a huntress. Can I have your autographs!"

One long journey to the police station, several cold Goodwich stares, and an autograph from Dante later, Ruby found herself in a dark interrogation room with a single light. Goodwitch pacing around her while Dante sat, leaning back on his chair with his feet on the table.

Were they going to be good cop bad cop? That had never really worked on Ruby before, but then again Zwei was a corrupt bad cop, easily bribed. Did she need a lawyer?

As it turned out, Ruby didn't need a lawyer. In fact, Dante seemed to sabotage or comment on everything Goodwitch said. Dante probably shouldn't have been here, but Vergil's hobby for annoying Goodwitch was rubbing off on him. That and the kid seemed nervous, so it was pretty easy to forget about the time, kick back and help her relax.

Though Dante had to admit, Ruby was pretty good with her scythe. The video headmaster Ozpin showed when he arrived reminded him unsurprisingly of Qrow, but Ruby was missing something… critical thinking.

Each movement Ruby made was fluid, well-executed, but not the best move she could have made. The girl needed experience. To prioritise threats. Maybe have something smaller than a scythe for human targets. Qrow used a sword for most of his duels, it was just more versatile, more comfortable to defend with and counter.

Ruby had a good heart; evident in wanting be a huntress, saving people was her one and only life plan. The kid had potential. A lot more than most.

Ozpin seemed to agree, offering Ruby a spot at Beacon right there and then, once Dante vouched for her. Though for some reason the demon slayer thought Ozpin would have done it anyway. It made him just a tad more suspicious of their mysterious headmaster. Why did he focus on Ruby's silver eyes when he came in? What was that old guy planning?

Judging by the eye roll from Glynda, Ozpin would be doing all the paperwork pertaining to Ruby by himself, Dante smirked.

Seeing his smirk, Glynda had him babysitting Ruby while they waited for her family to arrive. Did she have the rest of the evening off? Probably.

"Ruby!" a certain blonde ran into the station, beelining for her little sister.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted back only to be crushed in one of the infamous Xia Long hugs. A loving embrace so strong you'll feel your ribs crack from happiness!

"Hey Yang."

"Dante!?" Yang looked at the hunter wide-eyed but still holding Ruby tightly.

"You know Dante?" Ruby gasped out, trying to breathe.

Stories were traded, each girl learning about the other's night. Yang spun a stunningly exaggerated yarn recounting their race, with a few explosions and bike ninjas littered in. Meanwhile Ruby recounted Dante's brutal fight against the mysterious fire witch, sound effects included.

"You girls okay to get home on your own?" Dante asked as they strolled out of the station.

"Yeah, Dad's waiting back at home," Yang grabbed her sister's shoulder, squeezing Ruby with a wide smile. "He freaked out, hearing it was you not me at the police station. Oh my dust, I can't wait to see his face when you tell him you're going to Beacon with me!"

"Take a picture for me," Dante chuckled as they parted ways. "I expect proof when you come to my class in a few weeks!"

"Wait," Yang called out. "You're a teacher?"

"Yep, but if you want to know what I teach, you'll have to make it past initiation!" With that, Dante turned into an alley and was gone.

"He's so cool," Ruby gushed, grabbing Yang's spare helmet.

"Damn right he is," Yang agreed, revving Bumblebee's engine. "And we're going to be learning from him," Yang smirked, glad that Ruby wasn't having a nervous breakdown about going to Beacon. With teacher's that cool, it was going to be quite the adventure.

Down the alley, Dante glanced at the time, wincing before he rushed off. Reaching his destination, Dante gently opened the door, glad to see the lights were off. Sighing with relief, Dante entered, flicked the lights on.

"You're late."

Dante froze, looking across the room to see his brother Vergil, reading a book without even looking at him. Next to him was another chair and a table, with two glasses of high-end whiskey sitting ready.

"You know," Dante said as he sauntered across the room, kicking pizza boxes out of the way before dropping down into the spare seat. "You shouldn't read in the dark, it's bad for your eyes."

"I'm aware," Vergil replied, sipping from his own glass. "Just like I'm aware that you should have been here hours ago. So, why are you late Dante?"

"Technically I'm not late," Dante pointed out, leaning back in his chair. "I just came second in our little race. Congratulations brother dear, you won."

Unamused, Vergil looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow at his younger brother.

"Fine," Dante admitted. "I made a small detour."

"You should have beaten me here by at least three hours," Vergil stated matter-of-factly.

"I made a series of small detours," Dante smirked. "In fact, I think this will be an interesting year at Beacon."

"How so?" Vergil asked, finally closing his book to fully devote his attention to the conversation.

"Let's just say I managed to get a rather talented student into initiation this year," Dante swirled his drink for a second before continuing. "Talented but inexperienced, a real gem in the rough."

"Interesting," Vergil conceded. "I too found a capable student for initiation. While she seems to lack formal training, she is experienced and would be deadly if given the right environment to grow. I had Ozpin interview her at the police station tonight. Naturally, Ozpin accepted my evaluation."

"Wow," Dante whistled, leaning forward on his chair with a teasing smile. "You go on a mission far north and come back with a girl. Cradle robber."

"While my trip north was enlightening," Vergil handed over a few documents to Dante, the younger brother reading through them as he continued. "My only interest in our students is seeing which one will grow stronger," Vergil finished with a competitive glint in his eye.

"Yeah," Dante agreed. "It could be interesting, and they need the training with what's out there." Frowning at the last picture in the file, Dante pushed it aside before smiling up at his brother. "So, you were right then."

"I normally am Dante," Vergil offhandedly boasted, placing down his empty glass.

"I probably already know the answer," Dante stated, gulping down the last of his own drink. "But what do you think, Vergil?"

"I think it would be a fight worthy of the sons of Sparda," Vergil smirked dangerously. "Unless you've grown too soft, Dante."

"Enemy with unknown power, impossible odds, and a magical handicap," Dante listed off, casually throwing his glass to the far counter, where it landed without breaking. "I'd say I have a better track record with those kinds of situations. Although it will be nice not having to kill you this time around."

"As if you could," Vergil stood, Dante following his lead. "Now, let's spar."

"We agreed on anything the other wanted to whoever got back first," Dante raised an eyebrow. "And you just want us to spar again?"

"If I want something from you Dante, I'll take it," Vergil stated as if it were immutable truth. Then, without warning, he slashed at Dante, faster than most humans could react, sending his brother crashing across the room even though he blocked.

"I just had this place how I liked it," Dante moaned, pushing away pizza boxes and discarded bottles from where he landed.

"Given the amount of effort you went recreating this place," Vergil stalked towards Dante, slowly unsheathing the Yamato. "I would think you'd take better care of it."

"I like it, it's homey." Dante kicked his jukebox, music blaring on as the two brothers launched themselves at each other.

Outside, even those passing didn't worry about the sounds of gunshots and carnage. The neighbours were all too used to it, accepting that they could never convince the brothers to keep it down once they got into it.

It was just the kind of thing you learned to put up with, living next to the Devil May Cry Agency.

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