Chapter 9 - Never Be Lonely
Once they were out in the main street, Vergil's ears caught the sound of something that made him feel angry.
'Thank you Miss Lowell. Yes, it's me. I have been waiting here for awhile now' A woman with short blonde hair was talking in the phone a bit far in the front of them.
So this is the one, the demon talked about.
The real Patty Lowell.
"Yes, it's safe for me to leave."
So the bitch was making sure Patty is alive and safe?
And with that, he took Patty's hand and went with her to the sidewalk. He hailed and almost immediately, a taxi driver felt pulled to him, wanting to come help the man.
Magnetically, the driver became inclined to be of service, cutting over four lanes and making a u-turn.
"Are you okay?" She asked. Once she took a seat behind the driver.
"Yes. Yeah . . . it's fine. Just tired." He replied and gave the driver the address.
The man smiled and nodded. When's the last time a cabbie smiled at anyone?
Things were looking up.
"That'll be 28.50." The man said, enthusiastic, and started the car.
Getting the girl to her destination was costly. He needed to get some additional form of income if this was what it took to get his normal jobs done.
"Haah . . . Alright." Vergil closed the door. He was exasperated, staying silent for most of the ride. His eyes watched the scenery, his thoughts drifting towards somewhere else.
His mind had a bad habit of wandering these days.
...20 years ago...
It was a cool autumn morning. Children ran around a playground, making piles out of the brown-reddish leaves. Then they'd jump straight in, just to hear them crunch.
A few other's had some family pets, like golden retrievers and one had large Great Pyrenees. They were all beautiful.
The pieces of those leaves scattered about in the air and flew like feathers on the wind.
A couple of picnic baskets scattered about, with the mothers and fathers helping their children up onto the monkey bars.
There, a seven year-old, cheerful little kid played in the swing. His arms were wide open, and his eyes closed, like he's welcoming the wind and the beautiful feeling that followed it.
Right next to him was his brother, standing up and pushing himself as fast as he could.
"Honey, that's dangerous. You could fall and hurt yourself." Eva shouted, anger hidden with each word she said.
Her blonde hair danced along the chilling winds.
"Don't worry! I'll be fine!" The tone of his voice changed every time he fell up and returned back.
He then felt her warm hand touch his shoulder and push him a bit faster. Vergil opened his eyes and met her gentle blue eyes.
Eva smiled back at him.
"Five more minutes, then we go back home, okay?" She said loud enough for both to hear.
He grunted and lowered his head, holding it between his hands. Why can't he stop thinking about this?
Why; everywhere he goes it triggers a memory.
"Enough. I don't want this anymore." He thought to himself.
An attempt to clear his tired mind but it wasn't any use.
"Are you feeling well, bud?" The driver asked.
He pulled himself back to a rigid, upright position.
"I'm fine. It was a long day." He grumbled.
"Yeah I feel ya . . . I had to wake up early so I could get the customers in the rich district. It's a real pain, but otherwise I can't make enough to make ends meet." The man said casually.
The rest of the drive went silent and smooth.
. . .
Patty stepped from the taxi car, gaping at the large mansion that set them beyond the sidewalk, towering over her as if attempting to intimidate.
The cream coating of the paint shined as the sun beat down, causing her to have to squint. Uniquely twisted fencing kept the house enclosed, neatly trimmed hedges surrounded the house.
Up above, the roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle.
As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she noticed a marble fountain sitting towards the right side of the lawn.
An angel held a flower, perched atop, looking up to the sky. Water spurted from its other hand, which lay gently out in front of it's robe, waiting perpetually for someone to take it in return.
The water fell gently towards the crystal blue pool beneath it, causing ripples to form and wave out until they were no more.
"Patty . . ." She heard 'Dante' call her name, in a tone she could not quiet recognize. He knelt down to look at her, "There's been a mistake."
"What do you mean?" She wondered.
Dante paused for a moment trying to find the proper words for this.
"You've been tricked. This . . . Isn't your home."
The words made her wheels turn for a moment, before it clicked.
"You mean the man who died isn't my dad?"
"Afraid not." He shook his head, strangely coming across as more 'Dante' unintentionally than when he tried to do so earlier.
"Remember the woman we met before we arrived here? That is the real Patty Lowell. She'll inherit all this."
Patty frowned and crossed her arms.
"So you're telling me I went through all of this for a-. . . A stupid trick! Why did you even bring me here? You could just take me back to the Orphanage or something, seriously."
She was hurt.
Vergil raised and eyebrow, a bit surprised by her reaction. But she's right, getting marked by a demon and barely sleeping for 2 days.
Witnessing the pantheon of Ulmarag's cacophonous trickery was punishment enough. But all for what? Some selfish woman who would go home pleasantly and claim her fortune.
"Let's go meet the cause of your misery." He said." That's why I brought you here . . . for justice."
The two entered through the double door and they were met by two armed servants.
"Hey, who do you think you are?" One of them spoke, aiming his gun at them.
Patty moved to the side slightly, while Vergil gazed at him, eventually countering with a smirk.
"Ah, my apologies. Where are my manners?" He said and placed his hand on his chest.
"You see, I'm miss Lowell's bodyguard."
The other man came closer to his co-worker and prepared.
"Damn right, you can't just bust into a place like this. Get out, or we'll shoot out."
Oh they thought they were so, what with there cheeky little peashooters.
Patty tugged at his arm like always, worried.
"It's not worth it." She whispered. The little girl actually knew what went on in his head.
Vergil simply placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back.
"Go ahead, shoot me if you're brave." He said, relaxing his hands and keeping them at the ready.
Patty was never sure what it was they saw on his face at that moment, because she was behind him, out of their view, but whatever it was, it made them run to the hills.
They practically tripped over everything in their way, scrambling like little insects away from a spider.
"Cool." She commented, holding back her laugh at the ridiculous sight.
So they continued up the cleanly carpeted stairs.
Vergil stopped at the peak for a moment.
Judging by the smell, there were three men . . . and an artificial demon.
'Times up, we did it. The fortune's ours.' He heard someone say.
'Turns out the message is just fake, there is no Patty Lowell.' Then the sound of the door followed, where that woman entered.
"An artificial demon. Interesting." He murmured and went to the left hall, jogging. Before he could touch the handle he sensed the power radiate quickly.
Vergil motioned to Patty to stay back. He took a breath and kicked the door using the strength of his left leg.
There before him stood a dark green, abnormally thin demon, who still possessed humanoid features, albeit stretched out.
A blonde woman slumped to the side, terrified.
His eyes shimmered red as he summoned the phantom blades. A circle that spun till it was a blur, ramming itself into the creature as he cooly strode to the enemy's position.
A loud growl broke through the building as the attack left it stunned for a moment.
He rushed forward and leaped above the creature, ultimately crashing his boot down onto it's neck.
That loud roar became replaced with a sick hissing as he summoned a sword and shunted it into it's forehead.
And the beast was done.
There was some gunfire. A flick of the wrist and their heads came free.
All that remained was the misery.
She who was to blame.
So he stared behind him at the cowering woman.
Those human eyes gazed back at him, surprised and confused.
"So, you're the one who paid me to protect Patty. Were you trying to feel better about yourself, considering all the horror you put this child through?" Turning as he said this.
The woman stayed silent, fear chilling itself on her spine by just looking into those cold orbs.
Those eyes . . . They were the blackest she'd ever seen.
"I . . . I never." She stuttered.
Vergil smirked and started pacing slowly toward her. His mind raced to find the torment, scanning through his mind palace's index of all the things he could do to settle this.
"You deserve punishment. Just like them." He snarled.
The woman squirmed back, until she touched the wall. Her hoarse breath was going to make her pass out any minute.
"N-no! That child!" She pointed, "I can take care of her! Please, let me take care of her. I-. . . I-I can make amends for my sins!"
"No." He said plainly.
"What!? Why not?" She said, desperate.
"I don't trust you." He replied, chuckling a bit at her preposterous offer.
His hand reaching for Yamato.
If Dante ever wondered why he didn't desire the presence of female company much, this is one fine example.
It seems their mother was one of a kind. No one's worthy.
"Wait, whoa! Dante!" Her pleas didn't gain a response, so she tried again, "Dante! Dante stop! Don't- You can't hurt her!"
He kept staring, intent on making up for the mistake of letting Ulmarag go.
"Dante! You told me no one should experience the kind of pain Ulmarag put you through, don't be the one to inflict it!" The young Patty finally bellowed at him, breaking his concentration completely.
He looked at her, taken aback.
Tears ran from her face as she tried to understand this convoluted man.
He remained silent, suddenly ashamed of what he was thinking. It was this Patty's voice, and her's alone that stopped him. His expression softened slightly.
"But Patty-"
"I know, I still can't believe all of this. But enough! No more." She interrupted.
Vergil closed his eyes for a second.
It's the child's choice, since it's her problem.
"Fine." He relaxed, receding the Devil back behind the wall of his soul, and started backing away from the woman.
The woman started to gain her normal breathing, but her mind still focused on that bargain.
"Patty! Thank you, please consider staying with me. I can help you out; the inheritance, all this, the money . . . we can live together live a family! I promise."
Patty stared at 'Dante,' prying for his thoughts, though she knew they would not come.
Finally, he looked back at her, frankly dejected.
"I think . . . I think it's safer for you to stay here." His words sounded bitter, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
The little girl looked at him, confused, shaking her head without a question.
"I want to go back with you. Please?" Patty said, her voice beginning to break.
He wouldn't hear of it.
So another tear fell to the ground.
"But, I finally have a daddy to hold onto."
The word daddy sent a shock down his spine.
Did the little girl really see him like that? Of all people, she's actually happy with him?
A part of him wanted her to stay around a little bit so badly, that kind of person made him feel . . .
No, it's better for her to have a stable home. Unlike that infernal Orphanage.
Vergil sighed to himself and knelt down to her once again.
"You can still visit me in the shop, anytime ya want." He spoke in a soft tone, more in-character than he'd ever been.
His eyes darted back to the confused woman, then once more to Patty.
"And if that woman does anything to you, I'm one phone call away."
Without hesitation, Patty embraced him, burying her face in his shoulder.
And he could feel her urge to cry, but she held it back.
She held onto him for what seemed like hours, refusing to let it end, even though they all knew it had to now.
She finally let go, choked but dry at least.
"I won't forget what you told me . . . " She said, barely keeping her voice.
"What's that?" He said, retaining a stoic face.
"Fear is my superpower. And I'm so afraid." She said, the words moving through him like Dante's bullets.
Oh god, was it too late to take it back? It was.
"I'll come for you tomorrow." She said into his arm.
Vergil rubbed the back of her head.
He chuckled and pulled back from her, "I'm sure you will. You're a brave, if not stubborn, girl."
The girl smiled at him, acknowledging his successful sarcasm.
Patty allowed a bright smile to grace her face, and she placed her hands on her hips.
"Yes, I am. I can hold my own well enough."
Well, that was good enough for him. If he stayed any longer, he'd never leave.
Vergil started walking toward the door, before he glanced at them one more time.
He addressed the woman, "You see me again, it won't be good for you. Run. Or, do what you promised."
"I will." She replied without a hint of hesitation, albeit terrified.
. . .
He did not feel like going all the way back through normal transportation.
So he went for an empty alley and made sure no one was there to see him.
Vergil drew Yamato and placed it to the side, summoning it's powers. And with a swift movement he made a cut through empty air. Midnight energy erupted from within the steel of the blade.
Once he drew it back, a portal ripped open before his eyes. His fast way back home, where he belonged, at least for the time being.
Once his shoes touched the portal, dark energy flow through him, and a bit of dizziness followed the motion.
It took him a moment to balance himself, but it was fine. He did this before and he should be fine doing it now. Once his vision cleared, he was at Dante's bedroom.
He wanted to sit and be alone for the rest of the day, have some peace of mind, since it was already nightfall.
However the scent in the place stopped him.
It's her. She's there at the door.
'Perfect timing, I need to talk to her.' He went out of the room and through the glass decorated door.
He could see the light in the place was still on, as usual.
But before he could do anything, Lady kicked the door and entered without saying anything.
Fully armed and ready.
"A knock and a hello would be more appropriate when entering someone's home, don't you think?" He addressed her a bit annoyed.
Lady sighed. Her eyes held determination, that much he can tell.
"Tell me why? Why did you say it to me? What gives you the right to judge me and label me weak?" She growled at him.
Vergil crossed his arms.
"So, you're seeking answers from me."
"I can't believe how much you've changed Dante." She said in disbelief, adding, "You used to respect me and my choices. One of the reasons I believed in you."
Vergil bared his teeth.
"And you should wake up and realize running away from your past'll make you fall to your weakness. I know this more than anyone else!"
Lady was silent for a moment, taken aback by the change of tone.
"My past is already settled. I moved on with my life. Looks like you forgot to."
Once again she could not read his expression at all.
She couldn't understand him anymore.
"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you . . . I can't believe you used my own history against me. Do you even realize what that name symbolizes for me?" She then spat at him, landing a saliva on his boots.
"I just called you by M- Your birth name." He corrected himself, as he knew of her bizarre sensitivity.
"You still don't get it. You didn't just call me by that . . . awful word. You insulted my very core! You completely erased and stomped on my progress as a human being!" Lady then realized it as she said it.
She eyed him with a sense of recognition, finally.
"That's it, isn't it? You lost whatever humanity you had on that island."
He scoffed at her proposal.
"Don't be absurd."
"It's not absurd. You talk like you don't have a soul! You treat me like garbage! If you lost your human side, all that remains is a demon."
"And what is your point, little girl?" He chided her.
"You are, reluctantly, my enemy." She was dead serious.
The man's eye's flared widely, and both his fists clenched.
The callous grin he'd built melted into a scowl.
An indigo aura arose from him.
"You whore, what do you know!? Shut up! Just shut up for one moment and listen to what I want to say!"
Lady rolls her eyes and gave a condescending chuckle.
"It's all about you isn't it? You selfish bastard!"
She insulted his humanity.
An odd angle. He'd never been questioned on this front, and it felt . . . This wasn't something he'd ever experienced before.
His temper flared, rage becoming an overwhelming feeling.
. . . No.
No, she wouldn't disrespect him so, not anymore.
"Enough talk! You insipid bitch, how dare you!" He snarled through gritted teeth. He became aggressive in his stance, looking like he was ready to pounce.
Lady drew her twin guns and aimed at him.
"I couldn't agree more, demon. Fight me. Right here; right now."
Vergil couldn't help the smirk that crept in his face. Were those little things a joke? Nothing of the mortal plane could harm him.
A perfect chance to see what she's capable of, despite this limitation.
"You want to play, Mary? Fine, I accept." He derided her name even more than he'd ever done before.
Her own anger flared and the corners of her lips winced.
Strangely, she didn't fire. Instead, she holstered the weapons and turned around.
Lady had a winning look in her eyes as she went out of the door and waited outside for him. She started checking her guns one last time to make sure. This fight will count.
She didn't even really understand why they were fighting, but she knew she had to.
It was for her own self-respect. Lowering the magazines in a quick motion, everything seemed to be in tip-top condition.
Her finger tightened around the triggers and the barrel turned around as Lady spun.
A gloved hand wrenched the pistol out of shape.
She flinched out of reflex. Lady knew the man was fast, but was he ever this quick before?
"Dante . . . " She muttered.
Like a damn rookie, the woman used her left fist to punch his grip off.
He let go ahead of time, letting her sail awkwardly past her own weapon.
Vergil grabbed her exposed wrist and tugged her forward, thrashing her to the floor. She rolled and drew another gun, aiming and firing as she stabilized into a slide.
He kept hiking towards her, never changing pace; zipping to the left, then the right each time she adjusted her aim.
The man never broke stride, appearing to casually teleport from side to side.
Then, he disappeared in a red shift, and rematerialized above her. His foot came down on the firearm, crushing the chamber again.
She threw both both her legs at him for a one-two combo, hitting his thigh.
It felt like a cement wall. She felt him seize her blouse roughly, picking her up off the floor with his left hand.
When they were level, she rammed her elbow down into his bicep, trying to break the hold. Luckily, her lapel ripped.
His hand came away clutching white fabric as a new bullet rocketed into the center of his forehead. His head jerked backwards, staring at the sky as she released a frenzy of strikes.
The man just stood still, letting her pummel him as he calmly reached his hand up.
He smacked her across the face, forcing her off balance.
The man dug the cartridge out of his head and glanced at it, unimpressed.
She stumbled back a few feet, creating a gap between them as he dropped the shell. They exchanged glares, caught in a standoff.
It was a desperate move for her, but if she could bring her sub out in time, she might be able to riddle him with slugs too fast to dodge.
Huffing and puffing, she clenched her fists, then flexed them out.
Okay . . .
She went for the weapon, trying to bring her hands back in front of her as fast as she could before he could react. She'd waited right up until he'd blinked.
Lady got off an entire clip, though only the first few shots had hit him before he chose to fix that.
They really only bruised him, failing to pierce his skin. These were his brother's clothes, and she just put a few new holes in them.
He shifted out again, only reappearing in front of her right as the storm ceased. No time to reload. He launched into a barrage of jabs, placing her on the defensive again.
It was akin to fighting a kickboxer, often having her guard broken and her weak points exploited.
He kept overwhelming her, delivering vicious strike after vicious strike until her nose started to bleed, and her body ached.
Lucky for them, there was no one around to see their fight.
He placed a flexed hand out to the side of her head, away from from her sight in a flash.
She looked at his gloved palm out reflex as his other fist rocketed into her jaw.
It was so powerful that she twisted around onto her knees.
He got annoyed by her physical resilience. Anyone else, and their jaw would have ripped off.
She was dazed nonetheless, and so he gave an extra kick to her back.
Lady launched forward on her chest, sliding on the ground a few feet. The entirety of her front garnered scrapes and bruises.
She stopped eventually, and lifted herself onto her back, hurting.
Lady stayed on the ground, embarrassed and confused. She couldn't bare to look at him now.
Vergil watched the young woman trembling to stand.
Her pride won't allow her to show hurt to him, the one who won.
Too bad he had to hurt her like this just to witness it.
That bitterness in her eyes was like his. In that way, they were actually quite similar.
Wait.
Was this a sense of empathy for her?
She's insolent, she deserves it.
Contradicting emotions churned in his mind. Patty's words rung true to him.
They played over and over in a tape loop.
How selfish of him.
"I must say, I'm impressed." He said. Getting her attention. Lady's eyes met his for a moment.
"Why, that I tore up your favorite douchey coat? Spare me your arrogance." She was resigned to defeat.
It always worked like that for them, despite her confidence and skill.
Dante always beat her, no matter how many years she could use training.
Vergil felt anger boil within him, but he knew better than to lose it and do something worse.
"And you should realize it and accept the truth. What is a vulnerability to you sounds to me like truth, and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness." Mary will never find anyone who realizes this truth more than himself.
It's ironic, and so painful to admit it.
"I know your attitude. I know your reaction. You're scared, you wouldn't react so apish otherwise." Comparing her to a simian was just a step too far.
She glared back up at him.
He knelt down in front of the woman and placed his hand over her temple. She batted away his hand, and he just gave her a stern look.
Rebellious to the end.
So he came in closer, intent on holding his hand to her head, whether she wished him to or not.
"Damn it, you're like a child-"
Thats when she took another gun and thrust the barrel in his mouth mid-syllable.
She clasped her hand around the back of his head tightly, pushing him into the stalk, then pulled the trigger.
It felt like a grenade going off in his throat.
Lady had used a silver gun with strange engravings on the side. That was . . . Ivory.
How'd she get that!?
The attack caught him off guard, and he suffered as the demonic weapon actually hurt him.
For the first time since getting back, he was hurt by something.
He clutched his blackened lips, the back of his head smoldering on the blacktop. He belched up blood and smoke.
She stood over him, dominant now, though still injured.
"Wanna tell me about my 'weakness' now?" She asked him, sarcastic, "You should really keep an eye on your weapons cabinet."
He sputtered a broken swear through dark fluid and fractured teeth.
A special bullet made for a special target. Demons like himself could be harmed by the weapon.
Clever girl.
She pointed and unloaded five more bullets into his body, shooting off two fingers on his left hand, and burrowing shell after shell in his chest.
She leaned in after having her fill.
"I want this to be perfectly clear. In all your moments going forward that you'll spend trying to feel superior . . . in your deepest, darkest personal reflections,
I want you to remember the only person that ever beat you. I am Lady. I beat a devil. I'm still standing and . . . 'stronger than ever,' I believe you put it." She derided his logic and his beliefs.
His own defense was shattered by a dirty surprise. She put another bullet in his jugular, then tossed the gun on his bloodied chest.
"I know this won't kill you. It's not really my intentions.
But try to remember that I could have killed you if I wanted. We're not friends anymore. Don't call me: I won't answer." She told him.
Continuing, "Don't try to find me: I won't be found. This is the end of the line. Though I suppose with that lying face you could always find a way to never be lonely."
Vergil laid there, copper filling his broken mouth and draining periodically.
His healing could fix almost anything. Almost. Infused bullets were a different deal altogether.
Lady limped over to her motorcycle. Grabbing the Kalina Ann, she hoisted it over her shoulder.
"See ya around." She declared.
She felt vindicated, but exhausted.
Turning around, it took her a few minutes to get her gear all in place on the cycle as she prepared to depart.
A sudden, sharp pain splintered through her right leg. A summoned sword broke apart and faded from reality, leaving her with a highly painful, potentially lethal wound near her femoral artery.
She collapsed and screamed out of rage and frustration.
"AaaAAAHH- NO!" She cried, "IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT- not- . . . It's not fair!" Trailing off as she grasped her wound vigorously.
Vergil had called upon his dark half for assistance, but the injuries made transforming painful.
He settled for advanced regeneration instead.
Dante's pistols always hurt the worst, and it was partially for that reason that he despised guns, apart from considering them dishonorable.
The man retained the first shot that ricocheted out his cheek, and the second directly in his throat, possessing blackened, blood-stained skin on the left side of his neck where a giant wound remained.
His eyes burned red, reflecting ambient light into the darkness.
They were so serious, feeling like the eyes of an archfiend. This devil was wounded.
He walked over and sat beside her.
She kept screaming to the sky and to him.
Vergil sat silent, appearing to zone out into his own thoughts.
Lady kept her wound as pressured as possible, but she knew she'd probably die here.
Then Vergil spoke.
His voice was crooked and broken, still damaged and shredded.
"Crushed and broken next to a bleeding out pin-up model. Yes . . . the height of my week. At least my garb's been restored." He rasped, noticing the preservation of Dante's clothes.
She punched his shoulder, and once again felt like hitting a truck tire.
"You asshole! Why!?" She lashed out at him, "What the hell happened to you!?"
"More like what hasn't happened, dear." He said, sighing. Even his sighs sounded sickly, "This fight is, and was always destined to be pointless."
She ground her teeth, feeling that if she would die, she'd take him with her.
"You killed me, first emotionally, now physically." She told him.
He ignored her comment, instead looking back at her sadly.
It was the first emotion she got from him in a while.
"You won't die. You're too strong." He said, catching her off guard.
Something really somber lingered in his gaze.
". . . What?"
"I don't think I'll forgive you for that gunshot, but it pales in comparison to the things I've done . . . If you think I've lost my humanity, you'd be wrong. Dead wrong. But I've definitely suppressed it."
She was shocked at his opening up to her. What other things was he referencing?
"It was always easier for me not to think about it. If I had enough strength, I wouldn't be weak like others. I grew to feel my humanity was a weakness." He looked at her.
A mixture of anger, resentment, and acceptance was on his face.
"I thought you-. . ." She trailed off.
"For the longest time, I was under his control. I couldn't break away from it, I was just a walking prisoner. And in all that time I always thought back on my family, seeking them for strength."
His eyes grew sad and cold.
"So that's why I feel the way I do. Beneath my father's power, I buried the humanity because I didn't want to feel this way anymore."
She coughed. The blood loss was starting to get to her.
"I-I . . . I thought-"
Just as before, the man reached for her temple, and oddly enough, she let him do so this time.
He rested it calmly against a wound on the left side of her forehead.
The Cambion closed his eyes and started chanting, using what he learned to heal wounds.
Lady felt like cold water ran from her brain to the rest of her body.
Slowly but surely, she felt her body relax and her knotted muscles heal.
The last to go was the pain in her hip.
Lady just stared at him speechless. She couldn't find the proper words to tell to him.
'Dante' has changed alright, having become something of a gentleman, or so she guessed.
Was there . . . something else that got to him on that island?
"All this time, I thought you and I were different enough that my pain was my own." She replied, "But you've felt this way haven't you?"
Against her better judgment, she allowed him to touch her waist and help her stand up.
Instead of answering her, he returned to their direct situation.
"You cooled off yet?" He asked grimly.
"I think so, are you gonna be okay?" She reluctantly complied with his desire not to talk further, noting his retention of the wound and the impact on his vocal chords.
Holding the wound, he stared back up at her.
Deadpan, he retorted, "Oh yeah, I'm fine."
His voice was thin, barely there at all. It had become this horrible, raspy death grunt.
"Are you sure?" She said, feeling regret weigh heavy on her back.
"Oh nothing, it's no problem Lady."
The man sounded just like a decayed corpse trying to suddenly speak after fifteen years . . . or her idea of what that would sound like.
In fact, he sounded like a haggard black metal singer.
The exact sound could be described vaguely as gravel and shards of metal being shoved into a blender, and then hitting frappe.
It pained him so badly to speak.
Surprise wrote itself across her face.
"Did you just call me Lady?" She wondered out loud.
Awkward silence fell between the two.
Neither of them had a word to speak.
He let go of her, feeling close contact would embarrass her. He couldn't count on himself not to seek revenge anyway.
Annoying or not, she earned that right.
"I don't understand you, half-breed." Was the only statement she was able to say for the moment.
"So what? It's not fair? You expect me to breakdown and cry. I'm not- I don't operate that way.
You want me to speak about how much the demons traumatized me? I'd rather just respect your choice to run." Vergil questioned her pessimistically, then returned to silence.
His eyes focused on the devil huntress.
She huffed a long, exhausted sigh of indignation.
"Look, I need the change, I need the positivity in my life. Dwelling in the past only hinders you from moving forward." She said to him.
Vergil watched the shift in her eyes, the tremble in her voice.
Indeed she showed a fine strength against him, even if she failed to truly hurt him. Who would've thought Arkham's spawn had this quality in her?
No damsel in distress was she.
"I find you strange too, witch. But I guess I understand your reasoning." He replied.
"Okay, what the hell is it with you and conversation these days? Witch? Seriously?" She wouldn't tolerate his rudeness any further.
"You do have witches blood though, that was not an insult." He said, pretending he didn't know. She hissed a dark stare at him, "Right- Whatever it's your choice."
He felt the genuine need to tell her so, then continued, "My head's not right. Hasn't been for a while."
"I could tell." She said.
Well that was a bit impolite herself.
So he switched gears again.
"Tell me, why are you so agitated with the mere mention of your past? That sounds, to me, like running away." She gave him an evil eye, so he added, "I'm not one to be frightened."
Tensions heated back up.
"Nonetheless, it's over. I won't mention it again." He relented, decidedly avoiding any more combat, and cooler heads prevailed.
Lady's face was riddled with questions and she wasn't sure which one she should start with.
Her angered face had been softened within seconds.
However her tongue spoke involuntarily with one sentence.
"Thank you." It was a faint of a whisper. His ears twitched up at them.
He wanted to say 'you're welcome.'
At least give her some kind of levity after giving her a hard time.
The moment was cut short when he heard it again.
A venomous laughter. He perfected his stance and his eyes observed the place around them.
"Where's that coming from?" She asked him, knowing of his better hearing.
He struck back a look of shock
"You heard that?" Vergil said.
"Y-Yeah. It sounds familiar for some reason."
"It's- . . . It is your father." He said, dropping all attempts to hide his speech.
He immediately seized her wrist and had her come with him to the front of the store.
"That's- No. No, no no no, you did not just say that!" She retorted, despite being dragged.
"Go inside." He ordered, and though she was very reluctant, she complied.
He closed the door, and said to her, "If we lose it, it might not come for you."
She couldn't follow his logic all that well.
Her father was an 'it' now? How does that work?
How did he even know?
. . . Had he met him recently? That brought all sorts of other troubling thoughts she'd finally lost track of.
Lady followed anyway and once her shoes touched the floor inside, he slammed the door shut. Dante stood in front of the window watching the night.
He hurried her into the bedroom and motioned for her to get inside the sliding-door closet.
Lady heaved a long shudder and stared back at him. No reason really . . . At least thats what she convinced herself. However deep down her heart was sensing something new.
For the sloppy friend who bloomed into a well spoken man, she despised the arrogance. As much as it pains her to admit it, she kind of liked the new guy.
The old Dante was a slob, and if they'd had this falling out, he probably wouldn't have been so nice to heal her.
Then again, a lot of things would be different if he'd never gone to that island.
He successfully got her into the tiny compartment, then shut the door.
"Are you serious!?" She yelled after a minute of hearing him ruffle around.
He opened the door to talk.
"What? What's wrong?" He said.
"I'm supposed to help you out! That's how it always works. Before you went to that island and after!" She angrily told him.
He responded as Dante.
"Huh. Guess this'll be an exception then." He said, sliding the door shut.
She banged on the door loudly, so he opened it again.
"What now?" He said.
"I'm fighting him with you!" She yelled in his face.
"No . . . No you won't. He's different than before, you don't want any part of him, trust me."
His response frustrated her to no end.
"Well, I won't spend my time in here! You need help! Especially since you stopped using your normal weapons. Bit of a dumb move by the way." She commented as his wound unexpectedly twitched.
It splurged congealed blood out onto the door at excruciating cost.
He almost vomited, making the motion and the face, but it was just a dry heave, followed by unbearable coughing.
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." He croaked as he grabbed the side of his neck, "Nice move. Beautifully done."
Vergil's sarcasm could be just as gold as Dante's when he felt like it.
His voice still sounded awful, like he swallowed a knife and about 3 tons of cigarette ash.
He heard shifting feet and claws outside and looked to the side, towards the bedroom window.
"Don't worry about those old things. I'm going to break out a new classic." He said shutting the door again.
She just sat back against the wall in silence. Another minute passed by.
"Tch . . ." She exhaled.
Fine. She put a bullet or two in his throat, after all.
Vergil rummaged through the cabinet, looking for that weapon he'd placed away. It was the one thing on his mind, the one regret he'd had since leaving.
Where did he put those infernal things anyway.
It was a small battalion, gathered out his front door, huddled in anticipation as Arkham stepped forward. There were many now.
It took some more time, but eventually he found them.
Ifrit.
It'd been a while since he used Beowulf, but these two infernal gauntlets would be useful.
Yamato was getting a bit stale, even though it was his preferred weapon.
He slid the weapons on, and immediately felt an intense burn. They seared to his flesh, binding themselves to his very soul, warping to fit his forearms.
After a bit, the pain evaporated, and he admired the draconic design for a second before returning his attention to the sounds outside.
Travelling downstairs, he thought to himself about Dante's resolve, his fearless drive.
"Well, as you would have said, it looks like a party awaits me. Isn't that right, brother?" He muttered aloud to himself.
He banished the gauntlets in place of Yamato, choosing to use them later in the fight.
Lady came out from the closet and went to the window. She drew the blinds and slid the window open to the side.
She drew her guns and took aim.
"No way I'm sitting back and letting you kill that bastard without me."
To be continued
Thanks for reading this! I hope you enjoyed this :)
Special thanks to Angel Wolf, my beta reader for helping me.
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Thank you Turbo Sexaphonic, Angel wolf is amazing, he is the one who actually help me keep the fights polished and exciting like this.
Enter Sandman. It's actually suppose to remind you of that a little bit :)
StableGenius TR, oh wow I'm happy ^_^ I'm glad it worked. I do feel creativity here will benefit the story so much, I don't want to copy and past the anime events but with Vergil.
That will be just boring and the story will fail. I'm a big horror fan so you could imagine how this helped the inspiration of Ulmarag's powers and design.