Chapter Twenty Three: Wayward

Note: The comments on the last section were amazing! Vergil is probably having one hell of a time trying to comprehend how his kids keep finding their way into dangerous situations. I guess it runs in the family, even when your supposed to be the smart one *glares at V*. Everyone in the Sparda family needs to learn what "teamwork" and "asking for help" are!

(-~-)

As the tree made impact with the ground and rolled uselessly into the clearing near the entrance to the cavern, the air between the trio stilled. The makeshift battlefield they currently occupied fell silent with only the sound of their breathing to provide any indication of life. They stood there for a moment, not really sure how to react to the situation they found themselves in. Without a doubt, anyone within the cave had heard the commotion and would probably set upon them like wolves in a moment's time. Taking on an entire battalion of summoners didn't seem like a plausible strategy, but neither did a tactical retreat. Where would they go when they couldn't see?

And then there was the matter at hand. Vergil had an unreadable look on his face, and neither Nero or V could tell what that meant in regards to them. While both of them wanted to say something, they couldn't shake the feeling that they had probably fucked up royally, a theory that their father's relatively hostile disposition seemed to support. He didn't seem angry with them, per say. If anything he might have been surprised to find them when and where he did. But he was not pleased with them regardless, and they both suddenly found themselves caring about that much more than they normally would. They felt like children that had just been caught with their entire arm in a jar of sweets, and neither of them knew how to process that. Being deathly embarrassed by their actions in front of a parent wasn't something that they were accustomed to.

Perhaps if they simply explained what they were doing there…

Vergil closed his eyes for a moment before exhaling, shifting his sword to his offhand. While he was still on high alert, he seemed to acknowledge that he came off as very menacing to them both. While that wasn't something he'd normally take into consideration and would probably welcome as a teaching tool considering how much he wanted to grab them both by the backs of their shirts and drag them to the relative safety of the hotel, this wasn't the time. They both appeared to me mildly injured, and they were going to have to cooperate in order to get out of this situation. Or at least they were going to have to cooperate with him in order to do so. He was the one scrambling to formulate a plan at the moment, and they were going to have to go along with it once he worked out the details.

"What are you both doing out here?" He said succinctly, resting his head on the knuckles of his right hand and closing his eyes for a moment to think. Truly, the two of them would be the death of him someday," Do you have even the slightest idea what this place is?"

V sighed, resigning himself to his untimely demise. Vergil was clearly displeased with them, and he had a feeling that wasn't going to change anytime soon. "No. As a matter of fact, we do not. That's why I asked Nero to accompany me here in the first place. I wanted to investigate." V was clearly still reeling from his head injury, but that didn't seem to affect his cognitive abilities. Regardless, their collective discomfort with the amount of bleeding he was doing only grew the more he tried to cover it up." This was my idea. If you want someone to be angry with, it should be me."

Nero shot V a surprised glance before turning his attention back to their father. While that was indeed the case, he was surprised to hear him admit it so readily, especially since Vergil hadn't asked them that . While he wouldn't pretend to understand his motivations for doing so, he appreciated it nonetheless. It wasn't like Vergil could ground them or something… Could he?

The blue devil slayer looked at the older of the two for a moment, tilting his head back and slightly to the side as though he were considering something. He folded his arms loosely, switching Yamato back to his dominant hand, his interest clearly piqued by something unseen. After a moment, he gave a single, barely perceptible nod and turned his attention back to the entrance to the cave. Nero got the distinct feeling that he wasn't going to like where this conversation was going.

"... If I had not intervened at precisely the moment that I did, you would be dead. I trust you both realize that. I expect you to do more than just rush in blind and hope for the best. That rarely works." Vergil still didn't face them. Instead, he gestured towards the forest behind them, nonchalantly indicating something." Fighting an opponent this close to a Conduit is not advisable, but nothing about this idea was, so we will have to adapt accordingly."

"The gravity of that is not lost on me, I assure you." V said quietly, clearly taking Vergil's comment to heart. After all, the frankly unacceptable amount of blood loss he was currently suffering from spoke for itself. If the demon that had attacked them had managed to get the drop on them from above like it had intended to, they would be mortally wounded at best. Well, at least V would be. Nero tended to recover remarkably fast. But there were always exceptions to the rule, and a swift and deadly attack might have been all that the demon needed to finish the battle then and there. The very thought that he might have gotten Nero killed sent an unpleasant chill up his spine.

He had to do better.

While V seemed to be visibly perturbed by their father's assessment, Nero was more than slightly annoyed. That being said, he realized that he needed to cooperate with him until they were out of this place. They could hash things out after they escaped the cult's stomping grounds.

"A Conduit? What the hell is that? Some sort of Hellgate?" Nero asked, slightly irritated by his father's lack of elaboration. So he'd know that something was there the entire time that might be dangerous and had chosen not to say anything? What the hell?

Despite the fact that Vergil wasn't facing them, Nero could tell that the question irked him slightly. He'd more than likely assumed that they would simply ask him what his plan was and go along with it. It seemed that he hadn't factored in the possibility that Nero would want him to elaborate. Or perhaps he had assumed that he might and had simply hoped that he wouldn't given the current situation. It was genuinely difficult to tell considering how little Vergil was giving away, but it didn't really matter one way or the other. All Nero knew was that they needed to do something about this.

"They are similar. This is a place where the Underworld bleeds into the human world and the line between the two is blurred. As such, it is one of the few places where one can cross over without needing a full gate." Vergil turned to face them then, seemingly calmer than before, but still obviously displeased. It had been dangerous and foolish to come there, and he wanted to make sure that they understood that." And that is why you shouldn't be here. Leave. I will cover you."

It was Nero's turn to feel a visceral sense of discomfort. Something about the way he said that cut him deeply. He didn't like feeling as though he was a burden to anyone, least of all those closest to him. While he wasn't entirely sure where the more experienced devil slayer factored into that equation, Vergil was still his father and it made him feel as though he'd disappointed him in some way. Like they both had. And despite that disappointment, he'd still saved them instead of allowing them to learn a painful lesson at the end of a devil's scythe. He was grateful for that, but couldn't shake the feeling that they should all feel more relieved than ashamed. He was conflicted to say the least.

"Where would we even go? The clearing isn't much better, and returning to the hotel would only serve to put innocent lives at risk. Would it not be better to see things through to the very end and stop this here and now?"

Vergil gave him a look that was hard to interpret. It seemed to be equal parts irritation and exhaustion. While he was more than physically capable of continuing to fight, the concept of doing so while also having to keep tabs on his two troublesome offspring seemed insurmountable. Hell forbid one of them actually be wounded. He would probably level the entire region. That wasn't a good look. He'd put a notable amount of effort into not going down that path again, but if anything would be enough to send him toppling over the edge, the untimely demise of one of his young sons would certainly be enough. He'd suffered through enough tragedy, despair, and death for one lifetime.

"You're in no condition to…" Vergil stopped as he caught sight of the look on Nero's face. He suddenly seemed livid.

"Believe me, he's been through worse. Don't sell him short." Nero said, clearly displeased with Vergil's assessment of his older sibling. He gestured towards V, stepping forward slightly to close the distance between himself and his wayward father." He's not going to die that easy. Redgrave City wasn't that long ago, and if I remember correctly, he made it through a month in that hellhole without us. He's half the reason we beat you in the first place! Let's at least hear him out."

V and Vergil both stared at Nero in silence for a moment. While everyone present was more than aware of the time pressure they were under, they felt the need to put their cards on the table and know what the plan of action was before they committed to a course of action. Nero's resolve threw them both for a loop, V more so than Vergil. While Vergil had confidence in V's capacity to make rational decisions and take care of himself in most situations, he clearly didn't in this one. He wanted them both out of the line of fire. To hear that Nero was so firmly in his corner despite the fact that he had no idea what he had in store and after he'd almost led him to his death just a few short minutes ago…

The amount of trust Nero had in V… he was touched. No. That wasn't nearly enough.

He was truly humbled.

V made an effort to step forward, finding that the blood loss had made him somewhat less steady. He didn't feel dizzy so much as he did uncomfortable. His head throbbed like a dull toothache, and he was certain that he was probably going to need medical attention after this. Again. What a time for Magnolia to be away from the rest of the group. No, that was probably for the best. After all, she was still recovering from her own wounds. There was no reason to get her wrapped up in all of this.

Resting his hand on Nero's shoulder for a moment, V stepped past him and towards Vergil. He wanted to be sure that Vergil heard him and comprehended his intentions to the fullest. "I have a plan. But it's a bit complicated. And you're not going to like it. But I need you to trust me."

Nero resisted the the urge to laugh to himself at that statement. Wasn't everything he had to do with complicated? By his very nature, V was bad luck walking at times. While Nero cared about V and would never speak ill of him, the last thing that he was willing to say about him was that he was easy to understand. On a surface level, the basic ins and outs of his personality were not too difficult to understand. As such, it didn't take too long to figure out how to interact with him and stay on his good side. But only a colossal imbecile would be insane enough to think that V was a simple person. He'd never seen a person who was so frequently embroiled in chaos. But despite it all, he'd made it this far. And he respected that about him.

With a nod, Nero glanced at Vergil who then let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh. Everything about this situation made him supremely uncomfortable, and he didn't like it one bit. The Darkslayer had a feeling he knew what V was going to suggest, and while it could work, it was a risk that he was totally at odds with. The last time they had encountered the cult, V had been badly wounded. And while the last group that had set upon them had more than likely been underlings, their leader had been a fair bit more competent. Vergil was willing to bet that since they seemed to be a larger group than he'd originally guessed, they were going to make an effort to guard their base of operations. And that meant that their stronger ranks would probably be present.

When Vergil had wished that he could kill something to blow off some steam the day before, this hadn't been what he had in mind.

"Very well. Let's hear this idea then." Vergil said almost morbidly. This was going to be a long night.

(-~-)

It had started to rain.

As if things couldn't get any worse, it had started to rain.

The sound of thunder permeated the air as the cult pursued them relentlessly through the woods, their intent to catch them evident in every action they initiated. Trees toppled left and right and stone shrapnel blasted left and right as V ducked and tired to avoid taking further damage. He'd been scratched and marred several times during their pursuit, and to say that he was tired of the sensation of small bits of wood and earth blasting him in the back was an understatement.

From what he could tell, he was heading back towards the clearing. That was their destination after all. The rain seemed to be struggling to penetrate the leafy foliage, but the ground had become slick nonetheless, throwing off his footing further as he slipped behind the trees in an attempt to lose his pursuers. But they were close. Exceedingly close. As soon as they had made an attempt to leave, they had set upon them like hounds in a hunt, announcing to one another that they had found who their "master" was looking for. While V hadn't been shocked by this revelation considering the fact that the last time he'd faced them they had informed him that their leader wished to speak with him, he was no more eager to meet with them now than he had been two weeks ago.

The sound of wild snarling filled the air as the Hellhounds pursued him. He was their quarry and there was no doubting that. All he could hope for was that Nero and Vergil made it to their destination in time and that he was able to draw their attention elsewhere in the meantime. He didn't feel comfortable taking any chances against at least a dozen of those wretched hounds. With the level of visibility that he currently possessed, he'd probably accidentally kill himself instead of them if that was somehow possible. V was relatively sure that his familiars couldn't actually harm him.

Griffon made an attempt to flank him, shooting illuminating blasts of energy towards the slavering beasts as they tried to make their escape. Shadow was no good here. The terrain was too uneven to utilize her transportation abilities effectively, and he couldn't see well enough to steer. All in all, the situation was incredibly dire and there was little hope of that changing anytime soon.

"Oh, you've really gone and done it now, V. This plan of yours is brilliant. Just brilliant!" Griffon shouted as he flapped his wings rapidly, trying his level best to keep up with him. The wiley bird was having a hell of a time navigating the dark underbrush, even though he could see a little better than his master." You've officially lost your mind. You and your whole damn family! I'm amazed Vergil went along with this batshit crazy plot. I mean, the brat I expect, but Vergil?! I don't even know what to say. Were doomed!"

"Have a little faith in me, will you? Have I ever given you a reason to distrust my motives?" V said breathlessly as he dropped down from a low elevation into the creek below. Ah, yes. More water. Just what he needed. He was going to be sick for ages if this kept up. Nothing he was wearing was sufficient for this awful weather. He'd catch his death for sure.

"Your kidding right? You have to be joking. Yes! I doubt you all the time, V! You're totally off of your rocker most of the time. You just look sane!" Griffon somehow managed to shake his head as he flew, nearly launching head first into the trunk of a thick tree as he did so." But not this time, ok? This time you've signed your own death warrant. I don't know what to tell ya, kid. Were fucked!"

V was going to offer a response to his avian companion, but just as he did opened his mouth to do so, his foot became tangled in the underbrush and he tumbled forward, launching himself off of what could be charitably described as an extremely tall and very steep hill. He tumbled weightlessly towards the bottom, somehow managing to hit close to every branch and rock on the way down. Griffon yelped in horrified surprise as he dived down to try and break his fall, flapping furiously. Despite his best efforts, he only managed to reach him after he came to a stop at the edge of another segment of the stream, his head laying only inches from the water's edge.

As soon as he made impact with the ground, he gasped in discomfort, almost certain that he'd probably dislocated part of his leg. Although he was lying chest down in the mud, the unmistakable sensation was impossible to miss. He'd felt it before on more than one occasion. V considered the fact that he should probably be glad that it was always the same leg, but he was far too uncomfortable to think that clearly. As Griffon landed next to him and assessed his condition, the telltale light of the flashlights carried by the cultists shined from above him. They had more than likely heard him fall, and they were going to catch up with him. There was no point in debating it.

Griffon nudged V, panickedly urging him to find the resolve to climb to his feet and flee. The young summoner shook his head, breathing somewhat heavily as a result of his current condition and the fall that had caused it. He raised his head to look at him, shaking it side to side to indicate his condition as he lay chest down in the damp river bank. He wasn't going anywhere, and they both knew it. The only way he was leaving there in the custody of his enemies, and they were going to have to drag him if they wanted any chance of getting him back to their base of operations. There was no way that he could climb back up that cliff.

"Go. Do what we discussed. Make sure they don't see you. And make haste. I have no idea what they have planned for me, and I have no desire to find out." V said before laying his head back down and trying to ignore the discomfort he felt in his lower body. He had been through worse. He would make it through this.

The large iridescent blue bird shook his head before bolting up into the air. He didn't like where this was going. Not one bit. But he had no choice. This was the only way. With a solemn sigh, he glanced in V's direction one last time before bolting straight up through the top of the trees and out of sight of the cultists. "I sure hope you're right, V. I really do."

(-~-)

… You didn't think I'd tell you what the plan was, did you? FOOLISHNESS! Don't be absurd! No, you have to suffer through this with me! Why? Because it's 2020 and suffering has been made into an art form! I'll see you next week! I warned you that things were about to take a turn! *Evil laughter.*