I do not own Devil May Cry.

Devil May Cry: Rest For The Wicked

Chapter 2: Settling In

Vergil was an early riser, always had been, probably always would be. He could sleep anywhere he needed to and awake earlier than most, however, he always did so with his sword close by and sometimes literally one eye open. Being able to sleep without threat of being attacked either physically or mentally by demons was a welcome change, but a strange one that would require some getting used to.

He had his own room now, as empty and in need of maintenance as it was. He had no possessions to speak of besides his clothes and the Yamato, so while it was his, it still sat as a barren room in the upstairs of Dante's shop. His younger brother had a room, but for whatever reason took to sleeping in the chair behind his desk, feet propped on the desk and a magazine on his face. How he didn't topple back was truly a mystery.

Vergil sat up stiffly from the sofa on the shop floor of Devil May Cry, the early morning sun landing beams of light through the large windows. He stood up and stretched, then swept up his coat that he'd used as a cover while he slept, putting it on. The Yamato lay next to where Vergil had, always nearby and ready.

He checked the clock on the wall behind Dante's desk, seeing that it read 6:30am. Too early for Dante by several hours. He looked around, seeing nothing to do. He checked the fridge. Empty save for the odd beer and a couple of cold pizzas. Closing it, Vergil gave the place another once over.

'This won't do…' he thought. Looking at the phone, he was curious how often Dante got called for a job. Dante had explained that before he left to deal with the Qliphoth, he was always low on money and often lived with no power or water. It astonished Vergil that his brother, a son of Sparda, was content to live in squalor. Being what they were, things like hunger, extreme temperature, sickness weren't factors to their survival. Sleep was necessary, but even then only very little was needed. But Vergil was still intent on living with a decent standard of living. Perhaps not on par with his and Dante's childhood, but comfortable and clean. The shop was… well it wasn't falling apart at least. Not yet anyway. It was suitable for business, but not habitation.

'That's it! If I'm to live here, then it's my responsibility to make sure it's fit for purpose. Can't run a business without it looking presentable,' Vergil thought.

"Pacing already? If you need to go, you know where the bathroom is," Dante sluggishly took the magazine from his face and lightly tossed into into his desk. He rubbed his face and yawned, "mornin.'"

"We need to get to work, Dante," Vergil said, skipping pleasantries and getting straight to the point.

"Work? Work on what?"

"Killing Demons and acquiring money. That is what this shop is for, isn't it?"

Dante blinked slowly before answering, "Yeah. What time is it, anyway? I swear it's way too early for this."

"Almost seven. You do get calls, don't you? The sooner we get work, the sooner we can start improving our workspace," Vergil paced with his hands behind his back, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Sheesh, just moved in and already looking to redecorate. Big brother, if I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't satisfied," Dante said. He hid it well, but he was slightly offended.

"Redecorate? No. I need furniture for my room, and I can't get that without money. I can't just take it like I otherwise would have. Besides, you trashed the place clearing out those rooms, remember?"

Dante paused as he stood from his seat and stretched. He had trashed the place, finding some handy-dandy items from the past as he did so. Looking around, he did suppose it could do with some tidying up, and there was a patch of black mould in one of the corners of the ceiling that he didn't remember being there. There were some torn posters on the walls that had been there for years, some for over a decade or approaching two decades. The paint was chipping, the wooden floor was worn and dented from countless footfalls over the years. The glass in the windows wasn't as clear as it used to be.

"I guess you have a point. I suppose I've gotta remember it's not just me living here anymore, huh?" He brushed some dirt off of the desk with his fingers.

"Indeed. We'll have to discuss that another time, but for now, we need to know if there's work to be done," Vergil said.

"Nah, too early. This place doesn't get calls until noon at the earliest. Part of the reason I sleep in. If you want, I can put you in contact with Lady or Trish, see if they've got anything. Wouldn't count on them sharing though, they're stingy as they come," Dante suggested, a note of irritation in his voice when talking about the two women.

Vergil stared at Dante for a moment before shaking his head, "No, that's fine. Still, I don't like the idea of sitting idle until work comes. There must be something we can do in the meantime."

"There's nowhere to spar if that's what you mean. If you've got ideas, then shoot." He watched Vergil walk over to one of the large grid patterned windows at the front of the shop. He looked through it, seeing it was murky with mould at the edges of each pane of glass. He swiped a finger across the glass, pulling away and seeing dirt on it.

"You said you don't get calls until noon? Then how about a challenge?" Vergil smirked, turning to his younger brother.

The juke box tumbled the whole shop as heavy metal blasted from a set of large speakers. Dante was hard at work, jump-cancelling windows, swiping them with a soapy sponge yelling, "SwordTrickSwordTrickSwordTrick-!"

Vergil flashed Judgement Cuts at the walls, slicing up old posters into little more than paper dust. Swiping a rag and polish from the desk, among other cleaning products that Dante had no idea he had, he Rapid Slashed across the shop floor, polishing the wood floor in singular strokes, taking it from dull and dented, to shining and smooth.

Dante landed, kicking up the sole potted plant up in the air, high above Vergil's head. The Dark Slayer Air Tricked up, slashing the dead leaves from the plant. He landed on the desk, slowly sheathing Yamato until it clicked shut. The dead leaves fell, only to be destroyed by some well placed summoned swords, and Dante caught the plant for a moment before flipping it back to its original position.

The pool table was next. Dante hooked a foot under it and flipped it up end over end into the air. The balls scattered and Vergil looked up at them with a smirk. He Air Tricked once more, leaving Yamato sheathed as he smacked each ball. They ricocheted off the walls, some colliding in mid air. The pool table landed with the triangle rack landing exactly where it should be. One by one, each ball fell into place within the rack until each was aligned perfectly and the formation was in order.

The place was looking like it was totally new. It had taken a couple of hours, mostly because of the two competing with each other, but an equilibrium had been reached. The twin sons of Sparda cooperated much like they did when slaying scores of demons; wordlessly and with unrivalled skill and efficiency. The floor shimmered and was clear of dirt and debris, the now clear windows glittered, the walls were ready for a new coat of paint, and the overall appearance looked far cleaner and more professional.

Dante took a good look at his shop and nodded approvingly. It did look a hell of a lot better than before, and he didn't risk breaking his neck walking anywhere. He'd never been one for cleaning, content with keeping the place hygienic enough that clients or visitors wouldn't have to wipe their feet on the way out. Vergil walked over to the jukebox and turned it off, stopping the heavy metal music dead.

"Much better," he sat down on the sofa where his coat rested, "I think any visiting clientele should feel much better coming here."

"I've thought about cleaning the place up before, but it always seemed like a pain in the ass. Been here over twenty years and got it clean in two hours," Dante laughed. He went and lounged in his chair, admiring the new and improved state of his shop. "Walls could use some paint though," he said.

"Got a sudden fire for renovation?" Vergil asked.

"Not renovation, but now that I really look at it, this place did look worn down. Still got the upstairs to do yet too."

"Glad to see you're motivated." Dante looked at Vergil flatly.

"Don't start with that. Heard enough about motivation to last me a lifetime," Dante said with a shake of his head, "in any case, slapping a new coat of paint in the place is gonna have to wait. Paint ain't free or cheap."

The door opened suddenly, and in came and older man. Business suit and a trilby, he looked the part of a man who knew his business and knew it well. With him came the smell of expensive cologne and cigar smoke. His eyes swept over the shop, surprised at the fresh state it was in and its occupants.

"Well, well, look who dragged his ass back outta hell," the man said. Dante gave the man a small smile and a nod of respect.

"Glad to see you Morrison, the girls tell you I was back?" Morrison kept looking around, nodding approvingly at the cleanliness of the windows and the shine of the floor.

"Trish let me know last night, so I came to see if my investment was safe. You still owe me for keeping this place from those two."

"Yeah, yeah, put it on my tab," Dante said with a sigh and a wave of his hand. Vergil paid the interaction no mind. This was one of Dante's associates, and thus none of his business.

"Oh don't worry, I already have. But now that I know Trish wasn't bullshitting me, how would you like some work I've been passed. The pay's decent and it's a quirky little case that I think you'll enjoy," Morrison chuckled. The prospect of money got Dante's attention and he sat up straighter.

Morrison hadn't addressed Vergil at first, but turned to the elder twin with a polite nod, "My apologies, sir, but you wouldn't happen to be Vergil, would you?"

"Indeed I am. You have me at a disadvantage…" Vergil trailed off.

"Morrison. J.D. Morrison , information broker, business owner, and distributor of work to crazy assholes like your brother here," Morrison pointed at Dante with a thumb, "Pardon my bluntness, but when Dante told me about you at first, you were dead. Then after that mess last year, I find out from Nero that you're alive."

"The life of a son of Sparda is a complicated one," Vergil said. Morrison chuckled.

"Working with Dante for so long has made that abundantly clear," he said. Dante tapped the table to get Morrison's attention.

"So about this job…"

"Oh, right. Well there's been a string of disappearances on the outskirts of town. No particular targets, just ordinary men, women, and children. Hell, even family pets. One person managed to get away with a little help from some up-and-comer demon hunter. Said it looked like a giant lizard of some kind, but couldn't get a good look since it only attacks at night. This son of a bitch sound like anything you've seen?" Morrison explained.

"Giant lizard, you say? Gotta be a Riot. Wouldn't put it past one to have laid low for this long in the sewer system," Dante said in thought. He looked at Morrison, "Alright, how much?"

"Rates have gotten competitive since you've been away. So to say you've got a pretty little pay check coming your way would be an understatement."

"Right. But that doesn't answer my question, Morrison."

"Oh… only in the realm of about three grand."

A lively glint entered Dante's eyes and a wide grin came over his face. He looked at Vergil, "You hearing this? Good pay for once," Dante laughed heartily.

"There's plenty of Devil Hunters out there these days, Dante. Because there's so many, people are willing to pay for quality. Lady and Trish have been killing it in the last year," Morrison said.

"Okay, Morrison, I'm sold. Just tell me where and I'm off," Dante stood from his seat and grabbed his two signature pistols, Ebony and Ivory, as well as his sawn-off shotgun, Coyote-A, from the wall behind his desk. Vergil watched the exchange quietly. He wanted something to do, but he knew that something as utterly trivial as a Riot didn't even warrant the attention of one son of Sparda, much less two. Besides, he'd decided that he'd rather see how Dante's business operated before jumping in on jobs. So far it seemed simple enough.

"You coming, Vergil?" Dante asked. Vergil shook his head, opting to lay down on the sofa and stretch out.

"You're more than capable of handling a sewer gator on your own. Besides, I think both of us going on the same job would be unwise," Vergil replied as he rested the back of his head on his arms.

"Care to explain?"

"Firstly, I find it unlikely anything is going to need two of us to deal with. Such threats are typically grander in scale," Vergil said knowingly, "Secondly, should both of us be on the same job, it is only natural that we compete. Such a thing could jeopardise our efforts and the wishes of the client. And thirdly, one of us should remain on standby in the event a larger threat presents itself," he surmised.

Dante nodded in thought, finding his older brother's logic sound. He was a little disappointed that he and Vergil couldn't go demon slaying together, but Vergil was correct. Something requiring both of them would be catastrophic for everyone else. He already had Vergil living with him, so that would have to be enough. It wasn't like they couldn't fight together in their free time.

"Alright then, I get you. So Morrison, where is the big bad lizard?"

With both Dante and Morrison gone, Vergil was left alone inside of Devil May Cry. By some miracle the jukebox had some classical music ready to go after he spent a good few minutes figuring out how it worked. He relaxed having returned to laying on the sofa as Debussy's Clair De Lune gently played. Not since he was a child had he been able to simply relax and indulge in simple pleasures. He had no poetry to read, let alone any books, and he wasn't about to start numbing his mind with Dante's inane magazines.

Long ago, Vergil had the distinct pleasure of being allowed to use his father's record player. Sparda has been a bit behind the times, but he none the less did his best to familiarise himself with modern human ingenuity. Eva was the more modern out of the two of them. Sparda had shared his private collection of records with Vergil, and the two would listen to various pieces by a deluge of artists, with his father explaining each, and discussing his favourites.

His love of classical music stemmed from those days, nurtured by his father and encouraged further with poetry by his mother. Two priceless mementos that no could take from him. Just then, a memory flashed across his mind. The shop of the old man who gave him William Blake's anthology. What ever happened to that place? There was no way the old man was still alive, having been in very advanced age when Vergil was only eight years old, but he wondered if the shop still existed. He decided he would have to go and look for it if he could remember where it was.

He missed his book. He gave it to Nero as a memento should he not return, but simultaneously a promise that he would return to reclaim it. Did Nero read? Vergil certainly hoped that if his son had inherited anything from him, it was his appetite for literature. But then again, that seemed unlikely. Just as Vergil had his tastes nurtured, Kyrie's explanation of Nero's early life made it almost certain that the boy had no time for that. Even so, he hoped that Nero had at least taken a look at what was in the book.

Once again the door opened, and where Vergil lay, he kept an eye closed as he saw who entered.

"Dante! Dante, you here? What's with the classical? That's not like him," a somewhat familiar face, one he hadn't seen in two decades. He couldn't remember her name, only the one she chose for herself. Her being there made Vergil uncomfortable, though he didn't know why.

"Dante's not here," Lady jumped slightly at hearing Vergil's voice. She eyed him for several moments and he did the same to her. For Lady, this was nothing but strange. The last time she'd been in the same room as Vergil, she, him, and Dante were trying to kill each other inside that damned demonic tower. To see the eldest son of Sparda as the sole occupant of Devil May Cry instead of Dante was jarring. She could see the difference in his appearance as clear as day. Age had touched him, but not in the way of wear and tear, probably due to his demonic blood, but his features were more defined. Back then, he and Dante looked identical to her. Now, there was a resemblance at best. She'd heard somewhere that even identical twins can diverge in looks as they aged.

What struck her most immediately was his eyes. In the Temen-ni-gru, his eyes were as cold as the ice they resembled. A calculating, power hungry predator. Her anger and drive kept her from flinching under his gaze back then as they were windows into a remorseless soul. Now, though, there was something intangible and new. His eyes were by no means warm and inviting, but the edge they held twenty years ago was dulled. The hungry element in them was gone as if satiated. They looked… human.

That didn't stop her from instinctively reaching for one of her guns, only stopping short when her conscious mind told her she was the only one reaching for a weapon. She exhaled a long sigh through her nose and relaxed. Then came the next issue. It would be incredibly awkward to just not say anything.

"O-oh? He on a job, then?" Lady asked, cursing her self for hesitating.

"Indeed. He should be back before long as this job is still in town," Vergil felt his sense of propriety kicking in, counter to his want for solitude, "if you wish to wait for him, the by all means make yourself comfortable."

Lady nodded and walked over to Dante's desk. She sat on the edge of it, though she didn't let the Kalina-Ann out of her grasp. Like Morrison had, she noticed the difference in the condition of the shop from just a couple of days ago. Clear windows, shining floor, very little dust, even the plant and seen some care. Between them, herself and Trish and kept the place tidy, but didn't go all out.

"The shop seems a little different," Lady said, breaking the silence that was only filled by the quiet sound of a different classical track on the jukebox. Beethoven, Symphony no.9 if she recalled correctly, "He finally decide to clean the place?"

"We both did. Dante's chaotic living conditions are ill suited to me, so I had us tidy up," Vergil replied. Lady cracked an amused grin.

"Dante? Cleaning? Imagine that. Must have had your work cut out for you," She was less tense now, still not convinced he wasn't going to whip out the Yamato and start slashing, but for now he looked like he quite happy lazing on the sofa.

"I would have if I didn't know my brother. Turn something into a competition and he'll even clean," Vergil gave a smirk of his own.

"It's impressive though. Looks a hell of a lot better than it used to. I didn't bother saying anything to him but this place really needed an update in décor," she said.

"Indeed. Cleanliness costs nothing," Vergil said, "the next step is to get proper food in the fridge. Cold pizza isn't my idea of nutrition."

Lady chuckled, "Yeah I can see that. I usually only eat pizza when I'm here, and that's because he's buying. It's a wonder he's not tired of the stuff, but that's just Dante I guess," she shrugged. Vergil sat up, more comfortable than before, now slightly irritated at his private time being interrupted.

'Alright, Vergil, just ask her what she wants and she'll leave,' he thought. He didn't want to lose his composure over something small. Not too long ago he wouldn't have even tried to be civil.

"Why are you here?" He internally winced at his tone. She seemed nonplussed.

"Oh, right. Well I told him I'd drop by yesterday. Didn't give a time though, so that's on me."

"So it's a social call?" Lady nodded.

"Yeah. It has been a year, after all. But I was also curious," she looked Vergil in the eye, "just what became of the eldest son of Sparda? I'll admit I found it strange when Dante said you came back with him."

"I see…" At this, Lady thought she'd offended him with her remark.

"Uh, sorry, that probably sounded rude, huh? It's just that when we first met, circumstances weren't great, and we were vastly different people. So I wanted to see what had changed about the Vergil of today," she clarified. Vergil nodded slowly.

"Many things. Many of which I'm not sure of myself," there was a long pause, and Lady got the feeling that's all he was going to say on the matter. It's then she got an idea.

"Listen, I've got a job in a little bit. If Dante's back by the time I've gotta go, get him to tell me he's back and I'll come get you. I'll show you how we do business. Whaddaya say?" Vergil looked uncertainly at her. She wanted to interact with him? She had the personal experience with him to be more than rightfully wary of him, yet here she was offering to spend time alone with him to show him how the devil hunting business worked. How strange. He thought then that twenty years was surely enough to change a person greatly, and she had changed by quite a large margin.

Once again, Vergil pushed down any worries and nerves, seeing this as an opportunity to learn about his humanity. Who better to observe and interact with than a human? He nodded, coming to a decision.

"Very well. I appreciate it," he said, allowing a small upward curve of his lips. Lady pulled out her phone from a pocket on the thick black armoured leggings she wore and checked the time.

"Alright, I'll get going for now. See you later," she gave a small wave and headed out. 'Now I'll get to see for myself. If I can see why Dante trusts him now, I'll be able to drop it,' she thought as she subconsciously took stock of her weapons, ammunition, and ammunition.

Later

Dante chuckled as he read his magazine, once again sat behind his desk with his feet propped up on its surface. It was as he'd suspected, and the job was for the extermination of a Riot nest in a derelict section of Redgrave's sewer system, cut off from the rest of the city a year ago. It took longer to get there than it did to exterminate them. He stopped at a pizza place on the way back, and when he arrived at the shop, Vergil was there to tell him Lady had invited him on a job.

Lady had come by and got Vergil, the latter seemingly petrified by to prospect of getting on the back of her motorcycle. It wasn't the vehicle itself, but sitting behind her, possibly having to touch her, really set him on edge. He grew frustrated and stormed out, opting to sit on the back with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Lady asked him how he'd even stay on with how fast she liked to go, and Vergil replied, "You will not forget this Devil's balance."

Dante polished off his slice of pizza, "Looks like big brother's got himself a date. Hmph, always gives me shit on jobs and he gets a free pass."

He felt for a moment that he'd forgotten something. Like he was meant to give something to Vergil before he left with Lady. He shrugged. Couldn't be that important.

After explaining how Devil Hunter contracts worked, the networking involved, and the clients that made requests, they arrived at the job site. It was in one of the many parts of the city that had been completely emptied, with only the shells that were once homes and places of commerce stood. Winding streets littered with debris, with deep crags carved out by the Qliphoth roots made up all routes throughout the area. Getting through the place was a chore for Lady's beloved bike and much to Vergil's credit, his balance was impeccable. Sharp turns, jumps off makeshift ramps, sudden brakes at the edge of deep chasms, not one made Vergil budge from his seat or hold on to her or her bike. She was impressed and would definitely remember that Devil's balance.

They dismounted and went on foot, coming to a market square surrounded by a large circular building. All the windows had their glass blown out, and the ground below them glittered under the bright afternoon sun.

"This is the place. No one's been here in a year, and some demon's made itself at home," Lady said. She held the Kalina-Ann at the ready with one hand as it hung from a shoulder strap, and held a powerful handgun in the other hand. Vergil held the Yamato at the ready by his side, his thumb ready to pop-click the blade free from the sheath.

"And what exactly did the job say we're dealing with?" Vergil asked. His eyes scanned across the empty structure for any movement. For now, his keen senses weren't picking up anything.

"The description I was given says its large, winged, and uses light when it attacks. Highly territorial and not shy about picking fights," she said. That sounded very familiar to Vergil. A little too familiar.

"Sounds like a demon I killed in the ritual chamber in the Temen-ni-gru," Vergil said thoughtfully.

"Beowulf, right? Dante still has the Devil Arm."

Vergil raised an eyebrow," He does, does he? I'll be taking those back."

Before Lady could reply, the cargo trailer of an eighteen wheeler sailed high into the air from some unseen point beyond the circular building around them, and crashed down on the two. Lady dove inside, launching a rocket from Kalina-Ann and blew a hole in the far end of the trailer. The trailer moved around her until she was out of the exit she'd made. She rolled and righted herself, raising the rocket launcher to aim at the unseen assailant. Vergil had moved at the same time, coming to a stop beside her as the trailer split in two equal halves, the Yamato having clicked back into its sheath already.

'Very impressive," Vergil thought. Once again he'd underestimated a human, and once again he was surprised.

"The stench of Sparda. Your pungent stink offends!" From up ahead, a large demon flew up on eight wings of shimmering feathers, each reflecting a kaleidoscope of colours like broken stained glass. It was several meters tall and broad with enormous muscles covered by lightly haired, leathery hide. Its face was a snarling, almost humanoid thing with eyes burning white and single large horn jutting from its forehead. Veins of light snakes through gray skin, and its beastly forearms, hands, and lower legs were black and covered with strange biological armour, similarly veined with light. In the centre of its chest, the veins of light came together and pooled into a blindly bright core of demonic power, and around its neck was a mane of white hair, making it look more regal than it had any right to be.

It came to rest on the roof of the forward building opposite the two, chunks of masonry broke off and shattering on the ground below as its claws gripped the edges of the roof. It glared, specifically at Vergil, with its supernova eyes as the olfactory slits above its tusked mouth twitched, smelling the hated blood of Sparda.

"Well, well, to think there'd be another," Vergil said.

"Look familiar?" Lady asked. Vergil nodded.

"I thought only one existed, but it seems Beowulf is a clan. This is the second one I've seen," he chuckled, "maybe my father has something to do with that."

"You stink of him, but you are not the betrayer. You are his spawn," the demon growled, "Fear me, King Beowulf! " It's wings flapped and each individual feather shimmered for a moment before a salvo beams like shooting stars came surfing towards Lady and Vergil. Lady ran in a strafing action, beams impacted the ground just inches behind her footfalls. Already, her handguns were out and and firing.

Summoned swords shot from around Vergil, colliding with the beams of light. Bursts of speed drew him closer to King Beowulf while avoiding the beams. The fierce demon leapt down from its perch, already swiping at the elder son of Sparda. Black claws met the silver flash of Yamato and the ground shook from the impact. Lady looked on in alarm as sections of the ground began to crumble into a deep chasm below.

'It must have been hollowed out by the Qliphoth roots,' she thought. The hole widened, spreading to where Vergil fought King Beowulf. "Vergil, the ground!" She called out. He turned briefly after parrying an incoming strike from the demon, dashing back to see the ground disappearing into a black void below.

"Unfortunate that you do not have wings," the beast taunted as it flexed its eight shimmering wings. Vergil scoffed.

"I wouldn't be so sure, scum," more summoned swords pierced King Beowulf's hide, causing him to bellow furiously. Brutal punches were evaded and partied as Vergil took a leisurely amusement in toying with the demon. He teleported and stood on top of King Beowulf's head. "Too slow," he leapt down when the demon reached up to grab him. Vergil left his spectral doppelgänger in his place, the Sin Devil Trigger clone slapped the back of King Beowulf's head before dissipating. Vergil honestly had no idea why his doppelgänger was so unruly. The thing just seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Disgusting pest! I have no doubt Sparda's blood grants you flight, worm, but the human has no such gifts!" He threw up both of his massive arms above his head and slammed the ground with all of his might. Where the ground slowly crumbled, it now parted like dust in the wind. Vergil saw Lady lose her footing as the ground fell away, and in his distraction he was left wide open.

"Die!" King Beowulf bellowed as an armoured fist slammed into Vergil's side. He cried out as an explosion of light sent him hurtling out over the pit, but as he flew back, he sent a summoned sword straight into King Beowulf's right eye. A thunderous roar shook the very air as the demon reeled back and fired beams of light in random directions from his feathers.

Lady fired the bayonet from Kalina-Ann into the chasm wall and swung herself into a recess in the wall. She rolled to a stop and looked out to see Vergil falling with King Beowulf bearing down on him. She ran and leapt out after them. Below she saw Vergil had been grabbed with one massive hand, and being punched with the other, and with each strike there was a flash of demonic light. She pulled out her pistol and fired down at the demon, and her powerful rounds punched through his back, spraying blood and luminescent feathers with each impact. Holstering her pistols, she took careful aim with Kalina-Ann, focusing on the centre mass where all eight of King Beowulf's met, then launched the bayonet.

Vergil used the moment the demon's body lurched and its grip on him slackened. He used his Blistering Blades, sending a barrage of summoned swords plunging into King Beowulf's neck and chest at point blank range. A final punch sent Vergil soaring even further but ultimately helped him. He Air Tricked above the demon and drove the Yamato into his back back just as Lady landed and drove the bayonet deeper into the flesh.

"We should get back up above!" Lady yelled over the rushing wind as they continued falling. Vergil nodded, and with a grunt he pulled the Yamato from the demon's back.

"Get ready," as he said that, his body was enveloped in blue light. Where a man once stood, now a silver demon leered. Blue wings spread out from his lower back, and Lady briefly watched the intricate patterns inside the wings course and pulse with blue light. Vergil grabbed her and took off upwards, the wind rushing past them and stinging Lady's eyes. She took a moment to pull the pin on a few of her grenades and let them drop.

They emerged from the pit and landed on top of the circular building. None of the ground they'd walked on before King Beowulf showed up was left. Vergil reverted from his Sin Devil Trigger and immediately stepped away from Lady, much to her amusement as he refused to look at her. Moments later, a series of explosions reverberated up the chasm, followed by a roar of absolute fury.

King Beowulf flew up in front of them both as black smoke streamed from him, while gashes and dents lettered his massive body. None of it seemed to so much as register in his mind. His single remaining eye intensified in its glow, like looking into the heart of a very angry star. Bullets, rockets, and spectral blades were already slamming into the demon, but it didn't slow the demon of light down as he dive bombed down at them with his immense clawed hands balled into fists.

In a split second, Vergil and Lady exchanged a look. It was a silent communication. Lady nodded. The elder son of Sparda threw out a hand and Lady jumped, placing a foot on it before she was thrown up high. King Beowulf crashed into Vergil head on, collapsing the roof of the building and the two were swallowed by a huge cloud of dust and debris. They clashed repeatedly, rapidly moving throughout the entire structure. Walls were obliterated, floors collapsed. Flashes of light collided with ripples slashed into reality. Judgement Cuts sliced through the building.

Lady ran along the roof and followed the fight. She found it interesting that Vergil risked lowering his guard to move her out of danger. She wasn't sure if it would have killed her, but she knew she would have fallen through the roof with them, and that would have made a bad situation worse. So he wasn't without regard for her safety, and by extension, perhaps the safety of others.

She skidded to a halt as the roof just ahead of her exploded, sending shredded bitumen sheeting, splintered wood, and shattered concrete up in the air. King Beowulf and Vergil seemingly wrestled mid-air. Vergil was hit with a hammer blow as the demon of light slammed both fists into him, sending him bouncing across the surface. He managed to right himself with a backward somersault, slid on his feet and launched himself back at King Beowulf.

The demon barrelled towards them on all fours like a charging bull, his wings spread out and once again sent a fusillade of light beams into the air that came crashing down around them. Both Dark Slayer and Devil Hunter ran forward, dashing and sliding between the falling stars of demonic energy to meet King Beowulf head on.

The Yamato flashed free of it's sheath, and Lady could have sworn she saw a victorious smirk on Vergil's face. "Now," she heard him say just before he Rapid Slashed and took King Beowulf's right arm off at the elbow. Lady asked no questions and lobbed a spread of grenades at the demon's feet. They exploded and sent him tumbling down several floors where he crashed into the ground below.

"This is your job. You should do the honours," Vergil said, a hint of good humour in his voice. Lady smirked and reloaded her weapons. She was impressively quick at doing so, Vergil noted.

"Such a gentleman," she looked down into the swirl of dust where the demon lay wounded, "double tap him." She leapt down with the bayonet on Kalina-Ann leading her fall. She landed, plunging the heft blade into the bright core of demonic energy in the centre of King Beowulf's chest. The large demon growled and thrashed.

"No! I am to destroy the Sparda line! The traitor's blood must be shed!" King Beowulf howled as the bayonet in his chest was twisted, sending luminescent white blood splashing across his torso. The veins of light throughout his body were growing dimmer by the second.

"Eternal curses upon you, blood of Sparda-!" King Beowulf was silenced when Yamato found itself impaled through the demon's remaining eye, and out the back of his head.

"You could have killed it at any time," Lady said on the way back. Her motorcycle was thankfully unharmed, and the two rode in relative silence.

"I could have," Vergil affirmed.

"Then why didn't you? I'm gonna guess it just wouldn't have been fun, huh?" She said. If she knew anything about the sons of Sparda, especially from knowing Dante for so long, it was that no fight was finished quickly unless it really had to be. Hell, even Nero liked to play with his opponents, and he was the adult in the room next to Dante and Vergil.

"You answered your own question," Vergil said. Lady shook her head with an amused smirk.

"Thought as much," at least he didn't play around to the point of putting either of them in real danger. That was a plus. He had plenty of opportunities to take her out as well as the demon, but he seemed more interested in keeping her alive. Besides, both on the way to the job and on the way back, she had to keep her back to him the whole time. Perhaps the change in Vergil that Dante was talking about was real after all.

"You're still wary of me," Vergil states matter-of-factly, startling Lady out of her thoughts.

"H-huh?"

"You mask you emotions well, but not well enough. You're worried I'll turn on you," Vergil stated bluntly.

"I suppose you got me there. Can you blame me though?" Lady shrugged. Okay, he didn't really sound insulted, so she wasn't too concerned. She checked the side mirror of her bike regardless. "If it makes you feel better, I appreciate the saves earlier. I wasn't sure you'd do that, so… yeah, thanks."

They drove on, once again silent. She checked the side mirror again and saw her passenger looking on ahead and absorbed in thought. She felt a little bad about doubting him, but she wouldn't apologise. Anyone with even half a brain cell would be skeptical of someone who used to attain power by any means necessary.

"You sure you don't wanna split the reward? It's a fair chunk of change you're passing up, you know?" Lady asked, more out of curtesy than anything else. Ten grand for a single extermination. Thinking about it now, she felt as if she was being underpaid. But if Vergil didn't want to split it, that was up to him. She decided that he must have been satisfied with his fancy new Devil Arm anyway.

The King Beowulf Devil Arm was a pair of gauntlets and greaves, with a breastplate with a core of light in the centre. A mane of white hair was around his neck and when activated, eight wings made of light sprouted out, capable of firing the same light beams that the demon could.

"This is your job. Besides, you're human. You need money more than I do," Vergil said dismissively.

"You're human too, though," Lady blurted out. Quickly glancing at the side mirror, she saw Vergil frown and his jaw tighten.

"I'm not-" he paused, and considered his words carefully, "the Devil Arm is satisfactory. If I wish to obtain money, then I'll get it myself."

"Alright then, up to you," she decided drop the subject. Perhaps the changes within him were more profound than she'd previously thought. She knew that Vergil would have been utterly insulted at being called human, and while I started to protest, he stopped himself. That was fascinating. She was satisfied with her test though. He seemed to have indeed changed, and for the better. However, she erred on the side of caution, and decided it was still too early to make a decision.

They parted ways when the got back to Devil May Cry. As Lady pulled away on her motorcycle, Vergil was still pleasantly surprised by how she handled herself. He knew she was a cut above most twenty years ago, as she was the only full blooded human to scale the Temen-ni-gru, with nothing but her guns, her wits, and her drive to accomplish her goal. Quite admirable as far as humans go.

He entered the shop, unaccustomed to calling it home, and didn't really mind that once again, pizza was the only thing to eat. Dante wasn't around, but Vergil heard the shower running. He took a slice, settled on the sofa, and relaxed.

'It's nice having somewhere to return to…'

That's another chapter done. So, for the structure of the story, I think I'm gonna go for an episodic, loosely connected events kind of thing, with progress mainly between characters. I'm also thinking of creating different demons in different scenarios, mainly to get that cool Devil May Cry style going. I've seen ideas about King Beowulf floating around. No idea where it came from but I thought it would be cool to write about. Follow, Fav, Review, and I'll try to update soon.